La Liga 2024-25 is going to witness the first El Clasico of the season as Real Madrid is scheduled to entertain Barcelona. Real Madrid and Barcelona reach the Santiago Bernabeu after dominating their respective Champions League fixtures, hence giving the encounter even more buildup.
Real Madrid is only three points behind Barcelona, the current leaders; this match means they could be leaders in the next match day at their home stadium. Further, Ancelotti's team demonstrated their willingness to attack in their 5-2 Internet defeat to Borussia Dortmund which was the second battle of the Champions League.
For its part, Barcelona saw off Bayern Munich 4-1 thanks to an outstanding display from Raphinha, who scored all three goals. Decades back the team suffered a shocking loss against Osasuna, but over the years Flick team has responded perfectly well with four consecutive victories.
But Flick has his work cut out for him as Barcelona seeks to end its series of poor runs against Real Madrid, which surrendered 10 of the last 14 clásicos dating from 2020. Will the Catalan giants do it this time, or will Real Madrid reestablish itself as the dominating team on their soil?
What time does Real Madrid vs Barcelona kick off?
The El Clasico clash between Real Madrid and Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabeu is set for Saturday, October 26, with kick-off at 9:00 p.m. local time in Madrid, Spain.
Here's the corresponding kickoff time across U.S. time zones:
Time Zone | Date | Kickoff Time |
|---|---|---|
| Eastern Time | Sat, Oct. 26 | 3:00 p.m. |
| Central Time | Sat, Oct. 26 | 2:00 p.m. |
| Mountain Time | Sat, Oct. 26 | 1:00 p.m. |
| Pacific Time | Sat, Oct. 26 | 12:00 p.m. |
Real Madrid vs Barcelona lineups, team news
Real Madrid has some injury crisis that the team will have to contend with before the El Clasico match. Rodrygo who limped off in the closing minutes of their Champions League fixture against Borussia Dortmund will not be available. Thibaut Courtois, the first-choice goalkeeper is also injured, he could be out of action for up to three weeks. Also, David Alaba and Dani Carvajal are ruled out from the squad, and Brahim Diaz’s fitness is in doubt.
To replace Rodrygo, Jude Bellingham will shift to the number 10 position, while Tchouameni or Camavinga may take a central position Upfront, Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr will be part of the attacking triumvirate.
Real Madrid Predicted XI (4-3-3, right to left): Lunin (GK) — Vazquez, Militao, Rudiger, Mendy — Tchouameni, Camavinga, Valverde — Bellingham, Mbappe, Vinicius Jr.
Unavailable: Rodrygo, Thibaut Courtois
Suspended: None
Barcelona also has notable injuries and the team will be without Ter Stegen, Christenson, and Araujo. But Gavi has come back to the team because he recovered from his ACL injury. Barcelona's attack line shall comprise of Robert Lewandowski, supported by Lamine Yamal and Raphinha in the 4-3-3 formation.
Barcelona Predicted XI (4-3-3, right to left): Pena (GK) — Kounde, Cubarsi, Martinez, Balde — Casado, Pedri, Fermin — Yamal, Lewandowski, Raphinha.
Unavailable: Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Andreas Christensen, Ronald Araujo
Suspended: None
Real Madrid vs Barcelona Prediction
Hitting the bench soon thereafter, Rodrygo could be absent from the upcoming games, and Real Madrid will presumably lose some of the attacking fluidity that characterized their play so far. Despite this Madrid has been impressive within their confines, the recent form may just give Barcelona a slight edge potentially making them a slight favorite even though the match will be played in the Real Madrid backyard.
Prediction: Real Madrid 2-3 Barcelona
La Liga fixture schedule this week
All times in ET:
Friday, October 25
- Espanyol vs Sevilla FC - 3:00 p.m.
Saturday, October 26
- Real Valladolid vs Villarreal - 8:00 a.m.
- Rayo Vallecano vs Alavés - 10:15 a.m.
- UD Las Palmas vs Girona - 12:30 p.m.
- Real Madrid vs Barcelona - 3:00 p.m.
Sunday, October 27
- Leganés vs Celta Vigo - 9:00 a.m.
- Getafe vs Valencia - 11:15 a.m.
- Real Betis vs Atlético Madrid - 1:30 p.m.
- Real Sociedad vs Osasuna - 4:00 p.m.
Monday, October 28
- Mallorca vs Athletic Bilbao - 4:00 p.m.
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