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Real Madrid host Barcelona in the first Clásico of the 2025/26 La Liga season with more at stake than just pride. Both teams have had a decent start to their campaigns in the league, sitting in first and second place, respectively.
Xabi Alonso’s Real are top of La Liga, holding a two-point advantage over Hansi Flick’s Barca. Having won eight of their nine league matches, Madrid also come into Sunday’s game having won midweek against Juventus in the Champions League, where they have won all three of their games and look like the 15-time champions they are.
Barca, for their part, are also doing well in both the Champions League and La Liga. They have won two of their three UCL ties and are second in the league. It paints a picture of doing well, but not quite at the level of Los Blancos. They have the opportunity to put any of that talk to bed though, when they come to the Bernabeu, a ground they at won twice last season, with the mirroring fixture coming a year to the day, and that ended 4-0 to them.
Below, Flashscore has all the information so you can keep up to date with this famous match.
Real Madrid v Barcelona key information
• Date: Sunday, October 23rd
• Kick-off time: 3.15pm BST
• Venue: Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
• Referee: TBC
• TV channels: Premier Sports (UK)
• Odds: RMA (1/1) - DRAW (31/10) - BAR (11/5)
Real Madrid team news
Injuries dominate both sides but in differing areas. Xabi Alonso will be looking at his backline with mild trepidation as many remain out. Antonio Rudiger is out for a while with a thigh injury, whilst David Alaba has a foot injury that saw him come off against Getafe last week. Dean Huijsen, Dani Carvajal and Trent Alexandr-Arnold are all in contention to come back for the visit of Barca, but it will be a late call on each of them. Against Juventus, Raul Asensio had to be subbed late on with an apparent injury; however, that has now been reported as just cramp.
Injuries have blighted the campaign of Jude Bellingham, too, with the English midfielder undergoing shoulder surgery in the summer. After an indifferent initial return to the side, Jude may have turned the corner now, after a good performance against Juve saw him score the only goal of the game. In his first season at Real, Bellingham scored three times in two La Liga games against Barca, both times netting the winner in stoppage time. Alonso will be hoping that Bellingham becomes that talismanic midfielder again this year.
Real Madrid predicted line-up v Barcelona, (4-2-3-1)
Coach: Xabi Alonso
Courtois; Valverde, Eder Militao, Asensio, Carreras; Tchouameni, Camavinga; Vinicius Junior, Bellingham, Mastantuono; Mbappe.
Barcelona team news
If Madrid are light at the back, Barcelona are light further up the field, though you weren't exactly able to tell on Tuesday night. Since August, Barca have lost 10 players to injury, showing that there is a mini crisis going on at the club. Dani Olmo, Robert Lewandowski, Gavi, and Raphinha all missed the visit of Olympiacos in the UCL, with Ferran Torres settling for a place on the bench after just returning from his lay-off. Raphinha could be back for the trip to the capital, which would be a boost after his three goals and one assist against Los Blancos in the league last season.
A concern for Flick’s side could be in goal. Both new signing Joan Garcia and experienced Marc-Andre ter Stegen remain sidelined, so Wojciech Szczesny will be between the sticks for this game. Whilst an accomplished and experienced keeper, the 35-year-old is notable for the mistakes he has in his locker, as seen in the Supercopa in January when he was sent off for taking out Mbappe, and conceding a penalty against the same player in the May Classico. Barca won both games, despite their liability in the net.
Barcelona predicted line-up v Real Madrid, (4-3-3)
Coach: Hansi Flick
Szczesny; Kounde, Araujo, Curbarsi, Balde; De Jong, Pedri, Casado; Lopez, Rashford, Yamal.
Where to watch on TV or live stream?
In the UK, El Clásico will be shown live on Premier Sports. To watch it yourself, you need to have a subscription to Premier Sports, and then it can be streamed through your TV or on the website.
Head-to-head record
This will be Alonso’s first Clásico as manager, having won just five of his 20 Clásicos as a player (D6, L9). If that record is bad then fate may not be on his side as a manager since seven of Real’s last eight managers have lost their first league game against Barcelona. Add in that in this fixture last season Barca won 4-0, and then the remaining three Clásicos, confidence may be with the Catalonians.
Real do have the better of the stats when you look at it over a longer period. Real have won seven of the last 11 meetings in the league and have the slight advantage in the overall head-to-head record, winning 106 of the 258 times they have played, compared to Barca’s 104.
Away from facing each other, Madrid have won their last eight home games in La Liga, and only lost once in the league this season, 5-2 away at another rival, Atletico Madrid. Barcelona lost their last away game in La Liga to Sevilla 4-1, but had not lost any of their previous 15. They haven’t lost two in a row away from home in the competition since April 2024, one of those matches being against Real.
The winner of this first Clásico will sit atop the La Liga table and head into matchweek 11 as leaders. This first match will not decide the league at all, but will give momentum to either side, especially as it would put Real five points ahead of Barca.
Odds for Real Madrid v Barcelona
Real are the favourites for this match at the bookmakers. They are 1/1 for victory at bet365 with Barcelona at 11/5. A draw between the two is at 31/10.
Odds correct at time of writing, subject to change.