The stage is perfectly set for the first Clsico of the season at the Santiago Bernabu on Saturday (stream LIVE at 3 p.m. ET on ESPN+). LaLiga leaders Barcelona head to the Spanish capital with a three-point advantage over second-placed Real Madrid.
This was not scenario that was expected after 10 games. Madrid beat Bara twice on their way to the league title last season and then added one of the world's best players, Kylian Mbapp, to a front line already starring Vincius Jnior, Rodrygo Goes and Jude Bellingham.
Bara, meanwhile, started the season shrouded in uncertainty and continuing financial issues. Hansi Flick arrived to replace Xavi Hernndez as coach, and while Dani Olmo was signed from RB Leipzig, they began the season with a squad that looked short on numbers and experience.
However, they have started the campaign in fine form -- as shown on Wednesday when Raphinha scored three goals as his side beat Bayern Munich 4-1 in the Champions League -- and Flick could move Bara six points clear of Madrid with a win in his first Clsico.
Mbapp, though, will want to have his say in his debut in the fixture, too, while Vincius comes into the game on the back of a hat trick in Madrid's 5-2 comeback win over Borussia Dortmund. -- Sam Marsden
Clsico all-time head-to-head
All competitions
Madrid 105, Barcelona 100, Draws 52
LaLiga
Madrid 79, Barcelona 74, Drawn 35
LaLiga games at Bernabu
Madrid 37, Barcelona 19, Drawn 13
-- ESPN Stats & Information
What happened last season?
Barcelona were the better team in both of last season's league Clsicos, but that wasn't enough. Both games were vintage Madrid smash-and-grabs. In the first Clsico of the season at Montjuc, on Oct. 28, Bara dominated for an hour. Ilkay Gndogan's goal put them ahead early on. Luka Modri and Eduardo Camavinga came on and changed the game, but Bellingham won it, scoring a long-range equaliser on 68 minutes before a second goal deep in added time made it 2-1.
The Supercopa meeting in January felt like an outlier as Madrid ran out comfortable 4-1 winners. In April's return league fixture, Bara were on top for long spells, leading 1-0 and then 2-1, but Madrid raised their game and Bellingham inevitably scored a 91st-minute winner, making it 3-2 as the Bernabu erupted. Had Barcelona won those two Clsicos, they'd have been champions. But they lost both. Talk about fine margins.-- Alex Kirkland
How Real Madrid's and Barcelona's seasons have gone so far
Real Madrid: Madrid are unbeaten in LaLiga, with seven wins and three draws, but their style of play has failed to impress. They've dropped points at Real Mallorca and Las Palmas -- games they should win comfortably -- and even in victory they were made to sweat by opponents like Villarreal and Celta Vigo. Highlights have been moments of individual quality -- in particular, the goals of Mbapp and Vincius -- rather than as a collective. They miss the retired Toni Kroos in midfield, and Mbapp's arrival up front has unbalanced a solid defensive unit. Despite all that, they're only three points behind Barcelona. -- Alex Kirkland
Barcelona: Flick's first 10 league games in charge of Barcelona have exceeded all expectations. They have won nine of them, only losing away at Osasuna when the German coach opted to rotate his squad ahead of a Champions League game. They look fitter and hungrier than last season and are much more effective in the final third. They have already netted 33 league goals, 12 more than Madrid, who rank second with 21. Considering the injuries they have had to deal with, including to summer signing Olmo, and the youngsters they have had to use, results could hardly have been better at this stage. But a trip to the Bernabu poses their biggest test yet. -- Marsden
Tale of the tape
Goalkeeper
Real Madrid: Thibaut Courtois, the world's best goalkeeper, is expected to miss the game after a recurrence of the adductor injury that kept him out earlier in the season. For most teams, that would be a devastating blow, but at least Madrid have last season's hero Andriy Lunin -- who covered for Courtois for almost all of 2023-24 -- ready to step in. Lunin surprised everybody with the level of his displays last year. But still, he's no Courtois. -- Kirkland
Barcelona: Iaki Pea has filled in since a knee injury ruled Marc-Andr ter Stegen out for the season. The 25-year-old goalkeeper has kept three clean sheets in his six starts but also conceded four at Osasuna and there is not the same feeling of security with him in goal as there was with Ter Stegen. Former Arsenal and Juventus No. 1 Wojciech Szczsny came out of retirement to sign for Bara until the end of the season and provide competition for Pea. Szczsny is expected to eventually take the gloves from Pea, but the Clsico may be deemed too soon for him. -- Marsden
Who has the edge?: Madrid
Defence
Real Madrid: Dani Carvajal's absence means Lucas Vzquez is the only available right-back (sources have told ESPN that Madrid are looking to sign another, but finding the right candidate in January will be difficult). A reliable backup, Vzquez is sometimes prone to switch off when defending the far post. der Milit�o and Antonio Rdiger pick themselves at centre-back, where David Alaba still isn't fit, and Jess Vallejo isn't good enough. On the left, Ferland Mendy -- named the "best defensive left-back in the world" by coach Carlo Ancelotti -- should get the nod over Fran Garca, and he'll be tasked with stopping teenage superstar Lamine Yamal. -- Kirkland
Barcelona: With Ronald Arajo and Andreas Christensen injured long term, Bara have a settled back four of Jules Kound, Pau Cubars, Iigo Martnez and Alejandro Balde. Individually they are all playing relatively well, but Flick wants them to play a high line, and that does give opponents a chance to get in behind if Bara's pressing from the front is not perfect. They miss Arajo's recovery pace in that sense. -- Marsden
Edge: Madrid
Midfield
Real Madrid: Ancelotti has recently opted to strengthen his midfield, going for a quartet in the middle of the park rather than a more lightweight trio. Two of Aurlien Tchouamni, Camavinga and Modri will accompany Federico Valverde and Bellingham. Valverde is arguably Madrid's player of the season so far, doing his best to fill the retired Kroos' boots, while Bellingham hasn't scored for his club since May... Could that change on Saturday? The weak link is Tchouamni, who often looks uncomfortable in possession. -- Kirkland
Barcelona: Injuries have disrupted Bara's midfield this season. Gavi, Frenkie de Jong, Olmo, Fermn Lpez and Marc Bernal have all missed large parts of the campaign. Gavi, De Jong, Olmo and Lpez are all available again, but the Blaugrana are likely to stick with Marc Casad, who has done brilliantly since being promoted from the B team, and Pedri. The question is which of those returning players, if any, are fit enough to accompany them from the start. If the answer is none, the other options are Raphinha in the No. 10 role, or the inexperienced Pablo Torre. -- Marsden
Edge: Bara
Attack
Real Madrid: Vincius and Mbapp need no introduction. The pair are lethal in front of goal -- both scoring at Celta on Saturday, with a total of 11 league goals between them -- even if they aren't the most obvious duo, sharing many characteristics. Their weakness is a shared reluctance to track back, more pronounced in Mbapp's case, and the knock-on effect of that on the team's overall solidity. But their quality on the ball is undeniable and, with Rodrygo ruled out, they will need to step up. -- Kirkland
Barcelona: Flick has the Bara front line purring. Lewandowski, whom he previously worked with at Bayern, has been the big benefactor of the team's improvement in the final third. The veteran striker is getting the ball in more central areas in the final third and has netted 12 times in 10 league games. Yamal from the right and Raphinha, either from the left or centrally, have also been brilliant. No-one has more goal contributions in LaLiga than the trio: Lewandowski leads the way with 14, followed by Raphinha and Yamal, who have 10 each. The case could be made that they have been the best front three in Europe so far this season. -- Marsden
Edge: Bara
Coaches
Real Madrid: Ancelotti has struggled to find exactly the right formula so far this season to get Madrid firing on all cylinders, but you wouldn't bet against him getting there eventually. The Italian has vast experience, has won it all, and knows all about this fixture, having coached Madrid in 11 Clsicos over two spells. He's prone to the occasional high-profile Clsico gamble -- think Sergio Ramos playing in midfield in 2013, or Modri as a false No. 9 in 2022 -- but they're rare. -- Kirkland
Barcelona: Flick has quickly made his mark on this Bara side. They press well, create chances quickly when they win the ball back and defend with a really high line. He has improved the output of players who struggled at times last season, including Lewandowski and Raphinha, and has trusted in youth when faced with a lengthy injury list. He can almost do no wrong at the moment, but that can quickly change if he doesn't get things right in the Clsico.-- Marsden
Edge: Madrid
Key clashes
Kylian Mbapp vs. Pau Cubars: Cubars, 17, is a precociously talented defender, but Mbapp is getting better game by game -- Ancelotti says he's looked "a different player" after resting over the international break -- and will relish the space he should find in behind Barcelona's defence. Madrid tend to struggle when faced with a deep block, but such an approach would represent a radical shift for Flick's Bara, who favour a high line. If they stick to that philosophy, Mbapp will enjoy himself. -- Kirkland
Lamine Yamal vs. Ferland Mendy: It will be interesting to see how Bara attack Vzquez at right-back, either through Raphinha staying wide or Balde pushing up, but the most fascinating battle comes on the other side. He may only be 17, but so many Bara games are being determined by Yamal already. Either teams overcommit men to mark him, leaving space for the other attackers, or he produces a moment of magic. Mendy, on his day, is a fine defender, so it promises to be an absorbing contest. -- Marsden
Clsico predictions
Real Madrid 3-2 Barcelona. Yes, Bara have been the best team in LaLiga this season, but Flick's kids haven't come up against a forward line with the pace and goal threat of Mbapp and Vincius. Expect an end-to-end, entertaining game, with both teams on the front foot. I think that will favour Madrid, but it should be fun either way, with lots of goals. -- Kirkland
Real Madrid 2-2 Barcelona. Famous last words, perhaps, but I agree it will be entertaining. Flick insists he won't change his ideas too much, which should mean plenty of attacking and a high line. That would lead to chances and goals at both ends.-- Marsden
Betting odds
Real Madrid +105, Barcelona +220, Draw +290 (at time of publication)
-- ESPN BET