Confirmed Lineups
Real Madrid possible starting lineup: 1 Courtois, 8 Valverde, 3 Militao, 24 Huijsen, 18 Carreras, 14 Tchouaméni, 6 Camavinga, 15 Güler, 5 Bellingham, 7 Vinicius, 10 Mbappé
Barcelona possible starting lineup: 25 Szczesny, 3 Balde, 5 Cubarsi, 24 Eric Garcia, 23 Koundé, 8 Pedri, 21 de Jong, 14 Rashford, 16 Lopez, 10 Lamine Yamal, 7 Ferran
Real Madrid have enjoyed an almost flawless campaign so far, winning 11 of their 12 fixtures across all competitions. Their only setback came in late September with a defeat to Atletico Madrid.
Under Xabi Alonso, Los Blancos have taken eight victories from nine La Liga outings, earning 24 points to sit two clear at the top of the table ahead of Barcelona. Their most recent league appearance saw them edge Getafe 1-0, while they followed that up with another narrow 1-0 win over Juventus in the Champions League, thanks to Jude Bellingham’s decisive strike that maintained their perfect group-stage record.
Despite their impressive form, Madrid haven’t been entirely solid defensively, conceding nine goals in as many league matches. However, their attacking threat remains strong, with 20 league goals to date—only four fewer than Barcelona.
Before the November international break, Real Madrid have four more games lined up: a home clash with Valencia on November 1, a high-profile trip to Liverpool in the Champions League on November 4, and a La Liga meeting with Rayo Vallecano on November 9. They will be eager to avenge last season’s disappointments, when Barcelona won all four encounters between the sides, including a memorable 4-0 win at the Bernabeu last October.
Barcelona, on the other hand, head into the El Clásico after a commanding 6-1 victory over Olympiacos in midweek Champions League action, restoring momentum after a few shaky performances. Hansi Flick’s men had been humbled 4-1 by Sevilla before the international break but responded with a 2-1 win over Girona and their dominant European display.
The Catalan side’s other dropped points came in a draw against Rayo Vallecano back in August. Injuries have plagued their early season, particularly in defence, where inconsistency has been an issue—something that could prove costly against Real Madrid.
Ahead of the international break, Barcelona will also face Elche and Celta Vigo in La Liga, along with an away fixture against Club Brugge in the Champions League.
Teen sensation Lamine Yamal will again carry much of the creative burden for Barcelona, though the visitors are still missing key attacking players for the Bernabeu showdown.
For Real Madrid, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Dani Carvajal, and Dean Huijsen are back in contention, while Antonio Rüdiger remains sidelined with a serious muscle injury. David Alaba is also unavailable due to a groin issue, but Dani Ceballos returns to the fold. No new injuries have been reported ahead of the big match.
With defensive uncertainty still present, Federico Valverde could once again be deployed at right-back, and Raul Asencio is expected to partner in central defence after overcoming cramp suffered against Juventus.
Bellingham, who opened his scoring account for the season in that Juventus win, is likely to join an attack featuring Franco Mastantuono, Kylian Mbappe, and Vinicius Junior.
Barcelona, meanwhile, have received a boost with Frenkie de Jong returning to full training and set to start. Jules Kounde remains doubtful after missing consecutive training sessions due to a knock. Raphinha has also been ruled out following a hamstring setback, a major blow considering his attacking influence.
Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Gavi, Robert Lewandowski, Dani Olmo, and Joan Garcia are all confirmed absentees. As a result, Flick could turn to Lamine Yamal, Fermin Lopez, and Marcus Rashford to support Ferran Torres in the front line.
If Kounde fails to recover, Ronald Araujo is expected to partner Pau Cubarsi at centre-back, with Eric Garcia possibly shifting to right-back to cover.