The FC Barcelona and Real Madrid face each other this Sunday, October 25, at the Spotify Camp Nou, in the first Clásico of the 2026-2027 season, corresponding to the tenth matchday of LaLiga EA Sports. The match, which will start at 21:00 hours, will pit the team of Hansi Flick, leader of the standings with a full set of victories, against the team led by José Mourinho, who arrives in Barcelona with a six-point deficit and the need to close the gap. Both coaches face the match with important absences, especially in defense, although they will be able to count on their main offensive references: Lamine Yamal and Raphinha for the azulgrana side and Kylian Mbappé and Jude Bellingham for the white team.
Barcelona arrives at the match with 27 points out of 27 possible and 39 goals in favor in the first nine matchdays, although after suffering their first defeat of the season against PSG in the Champions League (4-2). Real Madrid, for its part, occupies the third position with 21 points, behind Atlético de Madrid who has 25 after winning this Saturday against Deportivo de La Coruña. A azulgrana victory would increase the lead over the whites to nine points, while a Madrid victory would reduce the difference to three. With this scenario, Flick and Mourinho prepare their lineups for one of the most important matches of the first part of the championship.
Probable lineup of Barcelona against Real Madrid
Hansi Flick will have to reorganize his defense to host Real Madrid, after confirming that he will not be able to count on Jules Koundé, Eric García, or Andreas Christensen. These absences place the young Xavi Espart as the main candidate to occupy the right-back position, while Pau Cubarsí and Gerard Martín would form the pair of center-backs and João Cancelo would complete the defense on the left side.
In midfield, Rodri Hernández and Pedri are expected to start, with Fermín López in a more advanced position to cover the absence of Dani Olmo, injured during the Champions match against PSG. In attack, Flick keeps practically all his options available and is expected to bet on Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, and Anthony Gordon, although Gabriel Jesus could also have options to enter the eleven if the German coach decides to use a reference center forward.
Possible eleven of FC Barcelona (4-3-3):
Joan García; Xavi Espart, Pau Cubarsí, Gerard Martín, João Cancelo; Rodri Hernández, Pedri, Fermín López; Lamine Yamal, Raphinha and Anthony Gordon.
The main unknown is in the full-backs, where Alejandro Balde could also have minutes, while in attack the coach will have to decide whether to keep Raphinha as the offensive reference or introduce Gabriel Jesus.
Probable lineup of Real Madrid for the Clásico
The Real Madrid of José Mourinho faces the Clásico with fewer injured players than their rival, although with one particularly significant absence: Vinícius Júnior, who will miss the match due to suspension. The Brazilian winger will have to serve the second of the four-match ban imposed after his expulsion against Villarreal, which forces the Portuguese coach to modify his offensive scheme.
In goal, Thibaut Courtois is assured of the starting position, while in defense Mourinho must decide among several alternatives. Ibrahima Konaté and Dean Huijsen are options to occupy the center of the defense, although Antonio Rüdiger could also enter the lineup. In the full-backs, Fede Valverde, Denzel Dumfries and Marc Cucurella appear among the main options of the Portuguese coach.
The midfield will likely be led by Aurélien Tchouaméni, with Eduardo Camavinga, Arda Güler and Jude Bellingham as the main alternatives to accompany him. In attack, Kylian Mbappé will be the offensive reference, while Yan Diomande is set to occupy the left wing in the absence of Vinícius.
Possible eleven of Real Madrid (4-2-3-1):
Courtois; Valverde, Konaté, Huijsen, Cucurella; Tchouaméni, Camavinga; Arda Güler, Bellingham, Yan Diomande; and Mbappé.
However, Mourinho has several doubts in defense and midfield, so players like Rüdiger, Dumfries or Bernardo Silva could finally enter the starting team.
All the absences of Barcelona and Real Madrid for the Clásico
The Barcelona has five confirmed absences due to injury. The most recent absence is that of Dani Olmo, who suffered a left adductor injury during the match against PSG and will be out for approximately a month. Jules Koundé will also be unavailable, as he is dealing with an ankle sprain, and his absence was confirmed by Flick in the press conference prior to the match.
These injuries are joined by Eric García, with a muscle injury in the right hamstring; Andreas Christensen, who continues recovering from a muscle tear in the quadriceps; and Roony Bardghji, who suffered a ligament injury during preseason and will not return until 2027.
On the part of Real Madrid, the main absence will be Vinícius Júnior, who is serving a suspension, while Rodrygo Goes, Ferland Mendy, and Raúl Asencio will also be unavailable due to injury. Rodrygo continues recovering from a tear of the anterior cruciate ligament and the external meniscus, Mendy is finalizing the recovery from his muscle problems, and Asencio remains sidelined after undergoing surgery for a stress fracture in the tibia.
In this way, Flick will have to face the Clásico with five injured players and Mourinho with four absences among injured and suspended, circumstances that will especially condition the composition of the defenses and the rotations during the match.
Lamine Yamal against Mbappé: the great duel of Barcelona–Real Madrid
Beyond the lineups, the Clásico will be marked by the clash between Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappé, two of the most decisive players in the championship and candidates for the Ballon d'Or. The Barcelona winger arrives after scoring eight goals and six assists in the first nine matchdays of LaLiga, while the French forward has accumulated nine goals in the domestic championship and has established himself as the main offensive reference of Real Madrid.
The match will also mean the return of José Mourinho to Camp Nou as Madrid coach more than thirteen years later. The Portuguese coach faces the match after stringing together four consecutive victories between La Liga and Champions, although he will face a Barcelona that has not yet dropped any points in the national championship.
What time is Barcelona–Real Madrid and where to watch the Clásico
The Barcelona–Real Madrid will be played this Sunday, October 25, at 21:00 hours (Spanish peninsular time) at the Spotify Camp Nou, with the refereeing of Juan Martínez Munuera, from the Valencian Committee.
The match can be followed live on television through DAZN LaLiga, available on the DAZN platform and on the operators that include this channel in their television offer. In addition, the official lineups will be known approximately one hour before the start of the match, when both clubs announce the players chosen by Flick and Mourinho.
With Barcelona as the leader and Real Madrid six points behind, this Sunday's Clásico presents an opportunity for the blaugranas to extend their lead or for the whites to get closer to the top position again. The numerous defensive absences and the tactical decisions of both coaches will be two of the factors that will mark the confrontation.