A live look and recap of the greatest rivalry in Spanish Fútbol
“El Clásico“
Real Madrid vs Barcelona – (“El Clásico)
The Bernabéu. Sunday, October 26th. 14:15).
Starting Line-Ups for both Clubs:
Real Madrid (4-4-2):
GK: #1 Thibaut Courtois
DEF: #15 Fede Valverde, #3 Éder Militão, #24 Dean Huijsen, #18 Álvaro Carreras
MID: #6 Eduardo Camavinga, #14 Aurelien Tchouameni, #15 Arda Güler
FWD: #8 Jude Bellingham, #7 Kylian Mbappé, #11 Vinícius Júnior
Barcelona (4-3-3):
GK: #25 Wojciech Szczesny
DEF: #3 Alejandro Balde, #24 Erica Garcia, #5 Paul Cubarsi, #23 Jules Kounde
MID: #8 Pedri. #21 Frenkie De Jong, #16 Fermin Lopez
Attacking FWD: #14 Marcus Rashford, #, #10 Lamine Yamal, #7 Ferran Torres
Match Breakdown & Tactical Outlook
Real Madrid (8-1 in Li Laga play) will look to exploit their high-pressure moments and pace up front. In critual matches, Bellingham emerges, operating between the lines and Mbappé & Vinícius in attempt to stretch Barcelona’s defence, Madrid will have to seek to transition quickly from defence to attack and catch Barcelona on the break. Coming off his 300th match with Real Madrid, Thibaut Courtois‘s (#1) will need to keep performing at an award winning level of play. In addition to, Madrid’s defensive organisation will be vital given Barça’s creative threats.
For Barcelona (7-1 in La Liga play) will come in to the Bernabéu and come out with a win. Their speed and pace on the pitch, is critical to dominate possession battle. Look for Barcelona to utilize their midfield to control tempo (especially with Locatelli and Koopmeiners) and exploit wide areas through Yıldız and Cambiaso. Their three-man defence can shift to handle Madrid’s forward movements, and if they’re able to press effectively and win second balls, they’ll look to impose themselves. However, their injury list adds complexity — as assistant coach Marcus Sorg spoke about injuries to key players their Brazilian forward Raphinha,
QUOTE: “Any team would miss Raphinha, but the situation is what it is. … We’ll see if Ferran (Torres) starts, … J Kounde also trained this morning and may play”(Kallas, 2025).
From the Real Madrid side, manager Xabi Alonzo was asked about provocative comments from Barcelona’s young star Lamine Yamal, who had said:
Lamine Yamal: “They [Real Madrid] steal, they complain… of course they do.”
Xabi Alonzo issued his response:
“Lamine Yamal’s statements? I will not get into that. What matters is how we play tomorrow.”
(Navarette, October 24th).
As usual, this years long rivalry provides us with the 252nd match-up between the two largest clubs in spain. The media narrative that is vocal and competitive. For either club to come out with a win. Both Madrid and Barcelona will have to focus heavily on structure, discipline and execution rather than flamboyant risk-taking.
Breakdown and Recap of the Match:
1st Half Key Plays:
- • 12’ – Earlier in the half, Real Madrid looked to have taken the lead via Mbappé, but the goal was ruled offside.
- • 22’ – Mbappé slots home a through-ball finish to open the scoring for Real Madrid. (1-0)
- • 23′ Valverde F receives a yellow card (Tripping)
- • 38’ Rashford #14 for Barcelona scores. (1-1)
- • 42’ Pedri receives a Yellow Card (Holding)
- • 43’ – Bellingham #5 shots and scores. Assisted by Eder Mittao #3 (2-1)
2nd Half Key Plays:
- 52’ Mbappe K. (Penalty missed)
- 65’ Federico Valverde #2 (Real Madrid) is in pain and can now receive medical treatment after the referee signals for the physio to come onto the pitch.
- 65′ Diaz B Substitutes for Guler A.
- 69’ Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid) has a goal ruled out for offside!
- 72’ Carvajal D. substitutes for Valverde F. Rodrygo substitutes for Vini Jr.
- 74’ Substitution. Marc Casado (Barcelona) is on for Ferran Torres.
- 84’ Substitution. Pau Cubarsi subs for Roony Bardghji (Barcelona). Casado M. subs for Torres F., and Araujo subs for Garcia E.
- 86’ Eduardo Camavinga for Real Madrid is injured after a tackle and goes into the pitch for treatment. Comes back into play
- 97’ Marcus Sorg has decided to introduce fresh legs, with Gerard Martin (Barcelona) replacing Alejandro Balde.
- 99’ Fermin Lopez (Barcelona) is given a yellow card.
Tactical Adjustments and Substitutions
• Madrid refreshed the squad with Brahim Díaz, Rodrygo, Dani Ceballos, and Gonzalo García, maintaining an attacking threat despite fatigue.
• Barcelona rotated Araujo, Casado, and Cubarsí to stabilize the defense and inject energy into the midfield and attack.
Discipline & Physicality
• Yellow cards for Dean Huijsen (Madrid) and Fermin López (Barcelona) highlighted the physical battles in midfield and defensive duels.
• Valverde and Camavinga required medical attention, showing both teams’ intensity and pressure on the central areas.
Post-match Conclusion:
Real Madrid secured a hard-fought 2–1 victory over Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabéu, extending their lead at the top of La Liga. The match was a tactical battle, with both teams creating significant chances.
• Early Drama: Kylian Mbappé thought he had given Madrid the lead with a long-range strike, but the goal was ruled out for offside after a VAR review.
• Opening Goal: Mbappé broke the deadlock with a precise through-ball from Jude Bellingham, finishing calmly to put Madrid ahead.
• Barcelona’s Response: Fermin López capitalized on a defensive lapse to equalize for Barcelona, showing composure in front of the goal.
• Madrid’s Lead Restored: Just before halftime, Bellingham tapped in from close range to restore Madrid’s lead, assisted by Vinícius Júnior.
Second Half Tensions: Madrid were awarded a penalty in the 51st minute after a handball by Eric García, but the spot-kick was missed, keeping Barcelona’s hopes alive. Late Opportunities: Barcelona pushed forward in the final minutes, with Marcus Rashford’s header and a late free kick from Rodrygo both testing the opposition’s defense.
Tactical Takeaways
- Madrid’s Efficiency: Despite less possessions, Madrid capitalized on their chances, with Bellingham’s movement and Mbappé’s finishing proving decisive.
- Barcelona’s Build-Up Play: Barcelona dominated possession but struggled to break down Madrid’s compact defense, highlighting the effectiveness of Madrid’s pressing game.
- Goalkeeping Heroics: Thibaut Courtois was instrumental in keeping Madrid ahead, making crucial saves, including a vital stop against Fermin López.
- Sources:
- https://www.reuters.com/sports/soccer/barcas-injury-crisis-deepens-raphinha-ruled-out-el-clasico-2025-10-25/
- https://www.managingmadrid.com/99645/lamine-yamal-real-madrid-steal-quotes-2025-el-clasico?utm_source