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Preview for Barcelona v Real Madrid
Barcelona fans got to share the misery of their Real Madrid counterparts this week following their exit from the Champions League.
Barca were beaten over two legs by Inter Milan and left raging at what they perceived to be a string of poor decisions from referee Szymon Marciniak. Having held the morale high ground due to Madrid’s conduct prior to and following the recent Copa del Rey final between the sides, it was interesting to see Barca behave in exactly the same way after their elimination to Inter.
The behaviour of both clubs in recent weeks has done little to alter the feeling that there is a sense of entitlement from Spain’s big two that is pretty unedifying.
Nevertheless, the battle for the Liga title remains a two-horse race, although it could be reduced to one if Barca can secure a fourth win over their Clasico rivals this season.
Hansi Flick’s side won the reverse fixture 4-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu and followed that up with victories in the Spanish Super Cup and the Copa final.
👀s on the ball pic.twitter.com/Z353w4BQ1h
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) May 9, 2025
They head into this fixture with a four-point lead at the summit with just four games to play. A win and the league is all but done and a draw would make them overwhelming favourites.
For Madrid, though, the weekend presents an enormous opportunity. If they can trim the gap to a point then it’s very much game on.
Most of the focus in the build-up has centred around next season and the future of coach Carlo Ancelotti. Xabi Alonso’s announcement earlier today that he will leave Bayer Leverkusen at the end of the season seems the first domino to fall with the remainder seeing Ancelotti stand down and then take up the role of Brazil national team coach.
The only uncertainty is when this happens. The smart money is prior to the Club World Cup in June with the Brazilian Football Federation eager to install Ancelotti as soon as possible to give him maximum time with the team prior to next summer’s World Cup.
And while it hasn’t been a great season for Madrid, hence the reason why Ancelotti is leaving, they come into this game on the back of four successive wins in the league.
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Team News for Barcelona v Real Madrid
Barcelona may have two key men back in the starting XI in Alejandro Balde and Robert Lewandowski.
Left-back Balde has missed the last seven games with a thigh injury but has trained well this week and is set to return. Lewandowski came on as a substitute against Inter in midweek and is likely to start as part of a front three that also includes Lamine Yamal and Raphinha.
Jules Kounde remains sidelined.
The situation is less straightforward for Madrid, who are without an entire back four in Dani Carvajal, Eder Militao, Antonio Rüdiger, David Alaba, Ferland Mendy and Eduardo Camavinga.
The good news is both Kylian Mbappe and Rodrygo are fit. Arda Guler is likely to be included following a string of fine performances recently.
Predicted line-ups for Barcelona v Real Madrid
Barcelona: Szczesny; Garcia; Martinez, Cubarsi, Balde; Pedri, De Jong, Olmo; Yamal, Raphinha, Lewandowski
Real Madrid: Courtois; Vazquez, Asencio, Tchouameni, Garcia; Valverde, Bellingham, Ceballos; Guler, Mbappe, Vinicius Jr
How to watch Barcelona v Real Madrid: TV and online stream
Barcelona versus Real Madrid kicks off at 3.15pm UK time on Sunday afternoon. You can watch it in the UK on Premier Sports 1 and stream it on the La Liga TV app.
💪🔋🔛🛠️ pic.twitter.com/7cUU3iZRHG
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) May 9, 2025
Stats for Barcelona v Real Madrid
- There have been three or more goals scored in each of Barcelona’s last 4 games
- Lewandowski has scored in 53% of La Liga games this season for Barcelona
- Nine of the last 10 games between Barcelona and Real Madrid have seen four or more cards
Prediction for Barcelona v Real Madrid
Much will depend on how Barca react to their midweek disappointment and it may even be a good thing they are thrust straight into the heat of a Clasico battle.
The return of Balde and Lewandowski shore up a couple of minor weaknesses and it’s hard to look past the home side.
Prediction: Barcelona 3-1 Real Madrid
