When Barcelona heads to the Santiago Bernabéu this afternoon, Xabi Alonso will be taking the reins for his first El Clásico in charge at Real Madrid — and he’ll get right back into the thick of things against an old adversary in Barcelona.
Alonso has been off to a pretty decent start in his time at Madrid so far. After all, he’s won 8 out of 9 La Liga games. That 1–0 win away at Getafe last weekend only served to strengthen his side’s grip on top spot and put them 2 points clear. And their Champions League win over Juventus in the middle of the week has them building nicely on that with some real momentum going into Europe.
But Barcelona arrive at the Bernabéu with a healthy dose of confidence following their 6-1 thrashing of Olympiacos, and with an extra day to rest, they’re looking like they mean business. Which means Alonso’s first Clásico in charge is going to be one hell of a baptism by fire.
Predicted Real Madrid XI vs Barcelona
Formation: 4–2–3–1
Probable lineup: Courtois; Valverde, Huijsen, Militão, Carreras; Tchouaméni, Güler; Mastantuono, Bellingham, Júnior; Mbappé
Injury update
- David Alaba: Calf strain — expected return November 1
- Trent Alexander-Arnold: Hamstring — could feature October 26
- Dani Carvajal: Calf issue — possible return October 26
- Dean Huijsen: Calf strain — nearing full fitness
- Ferland Mendy: Quadriceps surgery — targeting early November
- Antonio Rüdiger: Thigh tear — out until mid-December
Defensive absences are causing problems for Alonso once again. Rüdiger & Alaba are definitely out as centre-backs. On the other side of the pitch, you’ve got Carvajal & Trent getting ever closer to returning, but it still looks unlikely either of them will start. Meanwhile, Valverde is expected to just about make do on the right flank.
This Clásico
Tactically, this Clásico should be exciting. Real Madrid under Xabi Alonso are looking to park the bus in midfield with Tchouaméni and Güler marshalling the defence, and giving Bellingham license to roam and cause chaos behind the attack.
Meanwhile, up front, Vinícius and Mbappé will be looking to get in behind Barcelona’s high defensive line and cause some damage. Barcelona on the other hand are going to try and dominate possession with Pedri and De Jong, and then use their high press to knock the ball out of Real Madrid’s hands and get some quick counter-attacks going.
But it could be a bit of a high-risk strategy for them, as it may leave some gaps at the back that Madrid will be looking to exploit, especially on Yamal’s side.
In the end, it could all come down to which team can impose their will on the game and handle the quick transitions that usually define an El Clásico.
Sunday’s Bernabéu showdown kicks off at 4:15 pm local time, that’s 3:15 in the UK timezone. This big one comes in Matchweek 10 of La Liga. This big one renews one of football most legendary rivalries in a different light.