La Liga: Real Madrid vs Barcelona live
Preview: Real Madrid vs Barcelona
The latest edition of El Classico is set to occur at the Bernabeu on Saturday at 7:00pm GMT, as Real Madrid hosts Barcelona. This season, Barcelona has been the top-performing team in Spain’s top division, currently leading the La Liga standings, while Real Madrid is in second place, trailing their rivals by three points before this clash.
Real Madrid is unbeaten in La Liga, securing seven wins and three draws from their 10 matches, totaling 24 points and placing them second in the standings. They trail Barcelona by three points, so a loss on Saturday could have significant repercussions, even at this early stage. However, they can draw confidence from their recent encounters with Barcelona, having won their last four meetings across all competitions.
Last weekend, Real Madrid triumphed 2-1 over Celta Vigo in La Liga, and on Tuesday, they came from behind to defeat Borussia Dortmund 5-2 in the Champions League, earning crucial points. Real Madrid is currently on a 42-game unbeaten streak in La Liga, with their last defeat in the league occurring against Atletico Madrid in September 2023. This weekend, they aim to match Barcelona’s all-time unbeaten record in Spain’s top division, which was set between April 2017 and May 2018.
Barcelona’s performance has been remarkable lately given their considerable injury issues, as they have won nine out of their ten league matches, amassing 27 points and sitting three points ahead at the top of the table. They are also the highest-scoring team in La Liga this season, netting 33 goals and averaging over three goals per game. Flick’s squad has triumphed in their last four matches across all competitions, including a 5-1 victory against Sevilla in La Liga last weekend, and they are coming off a significant Champions League win. Raphinha notably scored a hat trick in a 4-1 victory over Bayern Munich on Wednesday night, and with players gradually regaining fitness, the outlook is very promising for Barcelona.
Head-to-head
Last season, Real Madrid achieved a league double against Barcelona, winning 3-2 at the Bernabeu and 2-1 at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys. Real Madrid have also not been defeated by Barcelona at their home ground in the league since March 2022.
Prediction
Both teams enter this match in high spirits following their strong performances in the Champions League during midweek. As a result, it appears difficult to separate them, leading us to anticipate a high-scoring draw at the Bernabeu.
