There’s a glint in the eye of the Clásico again, as José Mourinho takes his Real Madrid team to Camp Nou for their first outing of the season against La Liga leaders Barcelona on Sunday.
It’s merely October, yet this fixture feels season-defining. While Barça were beaten for the first time midweek, they’ve won nine straight to start the domestic campaign and are already six points better off than Mourinho’s side.
However, the vibes in the Spanish capital are high off the back of two convincing performances against Sevilla and RB Leipzig. Victory here and plenty will believe that Madrid are viable candidates for Barça’s throne. Defeat, though, and it’ll already start to look like a long way back.
Madrid are once again without the suspended Vinícius Júnior, but there’s still a collection of superstars at Mourinho’s disposal for the Clásico.
Here’s how Real Madrid could line up in Catalonia this weekend.
Real Madrid Predicted Lineup vs. RB Leipzig
GK: Thibaut Courtois—Real Madrid’s No. 1 is a sure bet to continue his run in the team for the trip to Catalonia. An injury-free Courtois is yet to relinquish his spot, and it’s going to take a vintage outing from the towering shot-stopper for the visitors to escape Camp Nou with a result.
RB: Federico Valverde—Valverde is seemingly more content to play at right back under Mourinho than he was under Xabi Alonso, and he could be deployed in Madrid’s defense in a bid to tame Barcelona’s high-powered offense.
CB: Ibrahima Konaté—Mourinho has leaned on veteran Antonio Rüdiger from time to time, but Konaté is starting to develop a stout partnership with Dean Huijsen, and the pair should reunite on Sunday.
CB: Dean Huijsen—Huijsen enters the Clásico off the back of a strong performance against RB Leipzig midweek. However, the Spaniard has his work cut out for him here, given just how potent Barça have been going forward at the start of the new season.
LB: Marc Cucurella—Good luck. A day out against Lamine Yamal beckons.
Pick Your Real Madrid XI!
CM: Eduardo Camavinga—Reports out of Spain suggest Mourinho has been convinced by Camavinga. The Frenchman is seemingly never too far away from doing something silly, yet the boss believes he’s the right midfield profile for this fixture.
CM: Aurélien Tchouaméni—We haven’t seen much of the French connection in Madrid’s engine room as of late. The visitors need a big game from Tchouaméni against Barça’s midfield supremos.
RW: Arda Güler—Güler will operate as an extra midfielder from the right with the hope of evening up the bodies in the center of the pitch. The young playmaker has enjoyed a superb start to the season, and his threat from distance is something the hosts must be wary of.
AM: Jude Bellingham—Paris Saint-Germain’s runs from midfield caused a Rodri-less Barcelona all sorts of problems in the week, so expected Mourinho to task Bellingham with penetrating in behind as much as he can.
LW: Yan Diomande—No Vinícius Júnior, no problem for Real Madrid. Diomande is finding his feet and poised to start in the Brazilian’s absence again.
ST: Kylian Mbappé—Mbappé has been troubled by Barça’s aggressive defensive line in the past, yet his record against the Blaugrana is impressive, dating back to his time with PSG. The French superstar has scored 12 times in as many games against Madrid’s fiercest rivals, and a productive outing on Sunday would certainly be timely.
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