Barcelona will aim to strengthen their grip on the La Liga title race when they host bitter rivals Real Madrid in Sunday’s Clasico at Camp Nou.
The Catalan giants have been looking forward to the encounter as an opportunity to extend their advantage over Madrid to nine points, but their preparations have been complicated by a 4-1 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday.
Real Madrid, meanwhile, head into the showdown on the back of four consecutive victories across all competitions, including a convincing win over RB Leipzig on Wednesday.
The recent results have offered encouragement to Jose Mourinho, whose side are beginning to show signs of cohesion following his arrival this summer.
Despite Barcelona’s European setback, Hansi Flick’s men will take confidence from the return to fitness of Raphinha and the impressive form of teenage winger Lamine Yamal.
Clasicos have often proved decisive moments in the fortunes of both clubs. Last season, Madrid won the first meeting between the sides, but Vinicius Junior’s angry reaction to being substituted exposed tensions during Xabi Alonso’s early spell in charge.
Alonso was dismissed little over two months later, and his replacement, Alvaro Arbeloa, failed to prevent Madrid from ending a second consecutive season without a major trophy. Barcelona, meanwhile, retained their Spanish league title comfortably.
Vinicius will miss Sunday’s encounter through suspension. While his absence deprives Madrid of a major attacking option, it could also give Mourinho greater flexibility in shaping his starting line-up.
Spanish newspaper AS reported that the Brazilian’s suspension had been viewed positively within the club.
“Vinicius’s four-match suspension was seen within Real Madrid more as a solution than a problem,” the newspaper wrote.
Mourinho has generally tried to accommodate his available stars, although balancing attacking quality with defensive stability has presented challenges.
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Record signing Yan Diomande, who cost €140m, offers greater defensive support and has also begun to make an impact in attack. The teenager could therefore be an option against Barcelona.
Another possibility would be to introduce an additional midfielder to disrupt Barcelona’s passing game, although PSG demonstrated that Flick’s side can be vulnerable when opponents attack them directly.
Despite Madrid’s improving form, Mourinho dismissed the suggestion that confidence alone would determine Sunday’s outcome.
“Confidence doesn’t exist,” he said of Clasicos.
The Portuguese manager also complained about the schedule, noting that Barcelona would have an advantage in recovery time.
“It’s not a game like the others… we’re losing 24 hours of rest (compared to Barcelona),” Mourinho said on Wednesday.
Barcelona have their own concerns, particularly in defence. Eric Garcia and Andreas Christensen are sidelined, while Jules Kounde remains doubtful. Midfielder Dani Olmo is also unavailable through injury.
Their defensive weaknesses were exposed against PSG, with the four goals conceded renewing questions about the high defensive line employed under Flick.
The Barcelona coach acknowledged that costly mistakes had undermined his team’s performance in Paris.
“We made too many mistakes, especially in ball possession, easy ball losses,” Flick said. “This is what we have to analyse…
“We have to understand the mistakes happen because (players) are not fresh. What they had to do the last couple of weeks is unbelievable.”
Despite the European defeat, Barcelona remain prolific in front of goal, having scored at least twice in every match this season.
Raphinha said the team were determined to maintain their domestic unbeaten run.
“Our unbeaten run (domestically) is still intact, and we’ll do everything we can to keep it that way,” he told TNT Sports.
Barcelona have averaged more than four goals per game this season, with Raphinha leading the league’s scoring chart on 12 goals. Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe has scored nine, while Yamal has eight.
Mbappe and Yamal are also among the leading contenders for the Ballon d’Or, which will be awarded on Monday. However, their immediate priority will be helping their respective teams secure victory in one of football’s biggest rivalries.
With Barcelona seeking to extend their lead and Madrid aiming to build on their recent resurgence, Sunday’s Clasico could have significant consequences for the La Liga title race.
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