When Real Madrid last faced Barcelona in the Copa del Rey Final two weeks ago, they may have come up short for the third time (out of three) this season, but they were so close to finally beating the Blaugrana, even without Kylian Mbappe in the starting lineup.
Mbappe changed the game with a brilliant free kick goal, but the performance was about the fact that Real Madrid, as a team, actually held up and fought.
In the end, individual errors in extra time doomed them, but there is real optimism that, even on the road, Real Madrid can get a win and prevent the LaLiga title from going to Barcelona - at least, for now.
Here are five players who could decide the outcome of the final Clasico of the 2024/25 season, just days after Barcelona suffered a tough knockout blow in the Champions League to Inter Milan in one of the best semifinal ties ever played.
Real Madrid CF Kylian Mbappe
It all starts with Kylian Mbappe, who produced a much better performance on Sunday against Celta Vigo, showing real initiative with his all-around play while scoring two goals in a 3-2 win that kept Real's LaLiga title hopes alive.
Barcelona are more vulnerable defensively than they'd like you to think - a fact that Inter Milan exposed on the counter across two semifinal legs. Mbappe is a more dynamic and skilled player than any of the Inter forwards, who aren't shabby themselves, and if Real Madrid are to walk out of the Olympic Stadium in Barcelona with three points, it will come down to Mbappe's brilliance.
Barcelona RW Lamine Yamal
Even though Barcelona were knocked out on Tuesday, Lamine Yamal was spellbinding again, weaving his way in and out of one of the world's best defenses as if they were cut-outs of Fran Garcia. And speaking of which, Fran will be the one tasked with stopping Yamal after Ferland Mendy's immediate injury in the last Clasico.
Fran doesn't have the athleticism, decision-making, confidence, or one-on-one ability defensively to cover Yamal. And with Antonio Rudiger out, too, the entire left side of the Real Madrid defense will be even more vulnerable to a generational talent, who averages an outrageous 4.5 dribbles completed per game in LaLiga.
Real Madrid AM Jude Bellingham
Jude Bellingham is the best big-game player in the world right now, and he's proven it for both club and country with game-winning Clasico strikes and even a bicycle kick in a knockout game for England at the European Championships.
He hasn't been quite as sterling from a goal-scoring perspective this season with a new setup and a new face of the attack in Mbappe, but he's still found the back of the net eight times with eight assists, ranking second on Real Madrid in both categories.
His all-around work is even more important to Real Madrid, and with the Merengues likely sacrificing a forward (cough, Rodrygo, cough) for more midfield stability, Bellingham's prowess as a poacher and his ball progression into the penalty area will be that much more important in the final, decisive Clasico of the 2024/25 season.
Barcelona LW Raphinha
While Raphinha didn't have his best game for Barcelona against Inter Milan and has slowed from his torrid first half to the campaign, he did manage to score against Yann Sommer and is a constant threat in every match because of his explosiveness and willingness to find space off the ball.
Raphinha is the biggest weapon Barcelona have on the counter, and Real Madrid witnessed that ever-present sense of danger first-hand when he carved them up in the Spanish Supercup Final. The best Brazilian in the world this season, Raphinha has scored 16 goals with nine assists and 2.6 key passes per game, offering the best combination of goal-scoring threat and creativity in world football today.
Real Madrid CM Fede Valverde
Although Vinicius Junior is the biggest game-changer Real Madrid have, his inconsistent 2024/25 season and lack of chance-creation has caused him to cede his spot as the heart-and-soul of the team to Fede Valverde, who is, like Bellingham, a model of consistency in the Madrid midfield.
Whether he starts as the right-sided center midfielder or even as a right back against Raphinha on Sunday, Fede will be one of the most important players on the pitch for either team.
He is a workhorse who carries the ball, defends at an elite level, leads by example, creates chances, and, of course, scores worldies from sheer nothingness that can give Real Madrid victories - or the hope of a victory - against the tide of the game.
Valverde is simultaneously the best box-to-box defender and the most dangerous shooter in the world from outside the box - a rare combination that is often a winning one in these big matches.