Barcelona vs Real Madrid El Clasico
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The gist
Barcelona host Real Madrid in El Clasico on Sunday, leading La Liga by six points after nine wins.
A win would put one club ahead in a rivalry level at 106 wins each.
Background
El Clasico is the long-running rivalry between Barcelona and Real Madrid, dating back to 1902; the clubs are level on 106 wins each in official meetings. Barcelona, managed by Hansi Flick since June 2024, are chasing a third straight Spanish league title and are one win from a record start to a Spanish top-flight season. Real Madrid re-appointed Jose Mourinho in June for a second spell after going without a major trophy for a second year in a row in 2025-26, a move that led president Florentino Perez to bring him back.
How it unfolded
- Oct 23, 2026Yardbarker publishes a look back at six vintage Clasicos ahead of Sunday's match at Camp Nou.
- Oct 24, 2026Al Jazeera publishes its top five El Clasico matches; Opta Analyst notes Barcelona have won their opening nine La Liga games while Madrid are six points off the pace.
- Oct 25, 2026El Clasico at Spotify Camp Nou, Round 10 of La Liga, kick-off 8pm UK time (9pm in Spain). Barcelona's confirmed XI is named, with Eric Garcia out, Jules Kounde a doubt and Dani Olmo missing; Real Madrid are without the banned Vinicius Junior.
- Oct 25, 2026Before kick-off the all-time record stands at 106 wins each and 52 draws in 264 official meetings; Opta's supercomputer gives Barcelona a 54.4% chance of victory.
Who’s saying what
- Analysts
- Opta's supercomputer gives Barcelona a 54.4% chance of victory, and four of five Athletic writers predict a Barcelona win, with one calling a 3-3 draw.
- Caution
- Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho pointed out that Barcelona had an extra 24 hours to prepare, having lost to PSG on Tuesday.
- Party
- Mourinho expressed outrage that Vinicius Junior will miss Sunday's match through a four-game domestic ban.