Real Madrid visits FC Barcelona at Montjuic this Sunday in the last Clásico of the season. A LaLiga match, on matchday 35, in which much of their hopes of winning the title are at stake. While the Catalans could extend their lead, the Madrid team could move to within just one point with nine points still up for grabs.
Real Madrid are hoping to snatch victory from FC Barcelona in this Clásico
Unlike FC Barcelona, who have had a much more straightforward and consistent season (they have won the Copa del Rey, the Spanish Super Cup, reached the Champions League semi-finals and are on the verge of winning LaLiga), Carlo Ancelotti‘s side have had a more inconsistent and difficult 2025.
The Whites started the competitive year with a win over Valencia in the league at Mestalla, a postponed league match from matchday 12. A team that lost the chance to win two titles last April. Against Arsenal in the quarterfinals of the Champions League, and against FC Barcelona itself in the Copa del Rey final. A match that went into extra time and in which they put up more of a fight than in the Spanish Super Cup.
This 2025 season had a turning point against Real Betis in the domestic competition. Until that match on March 1, they had only lost twice, once in the Spanish Super Cup and once against Espanyol in the league. Since then, they have lost five games, two in the regular season, two in the Champions League and the cup final against Barça.
All this adds up to a total of 32 games, 21 wins, three draws and eight defeats. It should be noted that, despite the difference in results, they are only four points behind in LaLiga. This leaves everything to be decided in this Clásico, which will take place at Montjuic.
Therefore, we can say that Real Madrid is approaching the match with the urgency of not failing. They have not managed to beat Barça in any of the matches played this season and will be playing under pressure at home against a Barça side that wants to remove the painful thorn in its side of not having reached the Champions League final and not being able to win the coveted treble. For Ancelotti’s men, victory would not only allow them to close the gap in the standings, but would also boost morale ahead of the new format of the Club World Cup to be held in June. The good news for them is that they go into the match fresher than their rivals, who are more tired.
As for the line-up, the Madrid coach does not have many options, especially in defense due to numerous absences, such as Militao, Mendy, Alaba, and Rudiger. With Courtois in goal, doubts could arise in the team’s attack, where Turkish player Güler seems to have stepped up and could repeat as a starter at the expense of Rodrygo, who is not going through his best moment.
There is another important question mark in midfield: Valverde, who, with Tchouameni dropping back into defense, would be expected to return to the center of the park. This would see Lucas Vázquez move to the wing, where he would have the task of dealing with none other than Raphinha, who will be looking to expose all of the Galician’s defensive weaknesses.
This would leave four midfielders: Valverde in the pivot, with Arda Güler and Modric on the inside and Jude Bellingham connecting the midfield with the forward line. Up front will be the two star strikers, Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius.
Real Madrid lineup
Goalkeeper: Courtois
Defenders: Lucas, Asencio, Tchouaméni, Fran García
Midfielders: Ceballos, Bellingham, Fede Valverde
Forwards: Guler, Vinicius, and Mbappé