La Liga 2025-2026: Barcelona-Real Madrid, the likely lineups

At the Campo Nou the atmosphere has been electric for days already, and the reason is quickly said: Sunday night at 9 p.m. is “El Clasico,” the derby of Spain between the Blaugrana and Merengues that could decide La Liga but also keep it open for at least another week. With four days to go, Barça has an 11-point lead over its historic rivals: even a draw would close the accounts definitively in favor of Hansi Flick’s men.

For the German coach, by the way, it will be a very special day: in fact, his father passed away during the night, but despite that, the coach himself is expected to sit on the bench and leave for Germany after the match. The club released on Sunday afternoon a note of condolence for the serious family bereavement.

As for Real Madrid, the moment is decidedly complex: the brawl between Tchouameni and Valverde, with the latter also forced to a hospital visit for a head injury, has made the rounds, and the very heavy fines imposed by the club (500,000 euros for each of the two footballers) will hardly be enough to close the discussion about the tightness of the locker room. There will also be no Mbappé, whose unavailability is among other things causing the Blancos fans to lose patience. A success in the Clasico, however, would change all prospects.

Probable Formations

BARCELONA (4-2-3-1): Joan Garcia; Koundé, Cubarsí, Gerard Martin, Cancelo; Pedri, Gavi; Rashford, Olmo, Fermin; Lewandowski.

REAL MADRID (4-2-3-1): Courtois; Alexander-Arnold, Rüdiger, Huijsen, Fran Garcia; Tchouameni, Thiago Pitarch; Brahim Diaz, Bellingham, Vinicius; Gonzalo Garcia.