Real Madrid v Barcelona – Preview, Predictions and Best Bets

Real Madrid host Barcelona in La Liga on Saturday. Los Blancos have won four of the last five encounters against Barca, scoring 13 goals in total. Barcelona, however, sit at the top of the league and have won 13 of their last 14 La Liga fixtures.

Real Madrid Form

Los Blancos were on a five-match winning streak heading into the Madrid derby, where a late goal conceded led to a 1-1 draw with Atletico Madrid, dropping two valuable points. They then suffered a 1-0 loss to Lille in the Champions League despite creating chances (2.18 xG).

A 2-0 home win over Villarreal before the international break was followed by a 2-1 win at Celta Vigo last Saturday. In midweek, Real Madrid defeated Dortmund 5-2 at home, scoring three late goals after a 2-2 draw at the 85-minute mark, with 3.55 xG and 26 shots overall.

Real Madrid Team News

Carlo Ancelotti will be without Dani Carvajal, David Alaba, and Brahim Diaz for this match. Thibaut Courtois and Rodrygo have also been added to the injury list.

Andriy Lunin is set to start in goal, with Lucas Vazquez at right-back. Rodrygo’s spot may go to Aurelien Tchouameni, with Jude Bellingham moving forward and Kylian Mbappe switching to a wide role.

Real Madrid Motivation

Los Blancos trail Barcelona by three points and know a win is crucial. Ancelotti may adopt a more defensive approach, looking to counter-attack with Vinicius and Mbappe.

A draw would not be a disastrous result, and they may play conservatively in the second half if the score remains level.

Barcelona Form

Barcelona are having an outstanding season, winning nine of their ten league matches. They won five consecutive La Liga fixtures before a 2-1 Champions League loss at Monaco. They responded with a 5-1 win over Villarreal and a 1-0 victory over Getafe before a surprising 4-2 loss to Osasuna.

They followed a 5-0 home win against Young Boys with three more consecutive victories: a 3-0 win at Alaves, a 5-1 demolition of Sevilla, and a 4-1 victory over Bayern Munich in midweek, where Raphinha netted a hat-trick and Barca produced 2.23 xG.

Barcelona Team News

Goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen remains sidelined, with Inaki Pena continuing as his replacement. Defenders Andreas Christensen, Ronald Araujo, and Eric Garcia are also injured.

Dani Olmo, Gavi, and Frenkie De Jong may start on the bench, highlighting the depth available to coach Hansi Flick. Youngsters Marc Casado and Fermin Lopez could feature in midfield.

Barcelona Motivation

Barcelona have the chance to extend their lead over Real Madrid to six points with a win. Realistically, a draw would also be a good result.

Barcelona are adaptable in their approach, having had just 40% possession against Bayern, and are dangerous on the counter.

Key Stats

Real Madrid have lost only 1 of their last 40 matches.

Real Madrid have won four of the last five clashes with Barca, scoring 13 goals.

Barca have won 11 of their 13 matches this season, scoring 43 goals.

Barcelona have won 13 of their last 14 La Liga matches.

Barcelona’s Raphinha has scored 8 goals in his last 10 matches at club level.

Verdict

Despite Barcelona’s recent form, Real Madrid tend to rise to the occasion in El Clasico.

Best Bet: Real Madrid win at 2.00

Value Bet: Real Madrid win and both teams to score at 3.15

Goalscorer Tip: Raphinha to score anytime at 3.30