fc barcelona vs real madrid lineups
Jude Bellingham inspired Real Madrid’s thrilling El Clásico win over Barcelona, scoring and providing an assist to take his side five points clear at the top of La Liga. In a breathless first half at the Bernabeu, the England midfielder set up Kylian Mbappe for the opening goal with a through ball that split the defense.
XI for Real Madrid: Szczesny
Real Madrid, boosted by three consecutive La Liga wins, now prepares to face Valencia. Still, before diving into that fixture, let’s return to the clash against Barcelona, where the visitors arrived at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu eager to upset the hosts, despite Real’s recent league standing.
Although it’s unclear if they will start, Xabi Alonso has restored Carvajal, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Dean Huijsen, and Dani Ceballos to the team. Antonio Rudiger is still sidelined due to a knee injury, and Alaba may be rested after suffering a calf injury in the loss to Barcelona.
Xabi Alonso continues to promote youth, reflected in his approach to El Clásico, where his lineup averaged 25 years and 15 days. Likely defensive options include Huijsen, Militao, Ruddy, and Carreras, with midfield support from Guler, Bellingham, and Tchouameni.
Kounde
Kounde’s family supports him, helping him stay grounded and focused as a professional athlete.
With strong performances under Hansi Flick, Kounde is likely to start at right-back for Barcelona and appears fully fit ahead of Sunday’s clash, promising solidity and consistency.
Real Madrid face several defensive injury concerns, with Alexander-Arnold, Huijsen, and Carvajal likely absent. Despite these setbacks, the team remains confident and focused on executing a fearless, tactically disciplined performance in this critical Super Cup match.
Cubarsi
Pau Cubarsi, recently promoted to Barcelona’s senior squad, also earned a place in the Spanish national team.
Cubarsi stays grounded thanks to his upbringing, reflected in his composed decisions on the field.
Cubarsi has excellent vision, composure, and game-reading, making him a key defender for Barcelona.
Militao Eder
Real Madrid vs. Barcelona remains one of football’s most storied rivalries, producing memorable matchups between iconic players. Upcoming meetings promise to add more chapters as both sides showcase top talent.
Real Madrid is expected to press high from kickoff to challenge Barcelona’s defense, aiming to create early opportunities. Quick defensive responses to Vinicius Jr. could once again prove decisive in the opening stages.
Huijsen and Militao are likely to anchor Real Madrid’s defense, with Guler, Bellingham, and Camavinga providing options in midfield. This El Clásico is poised to be a pivotal early-season test for both teams.
Huijsen
Despite his youth, Dean Huijsen impressed at Bournemouth by scoring, making key interceptions, and leading in clearances.
Huijsen is a modern defender: mobile, strong in the air, and a vocal leader.
Dani Carvajal is battling to recover from a knee injury, and David Alaba is sidelined with a calf ailment, leaving Real Madrid without many defenders. Trent Alexander-Arnold might be called upon by Xabi Alonso, but the Englishman might have to make do with a bench position.
Carreras
Although it wasn’t all sunshine and roses, Xabi Alonso had a successful debut in his first El Clásico as Real Madrid manager. The home team was often caught offside, had one penalty disallowed, and had another saved.
The former Juventus player struggled to regain his best form moving forward, despite playing a respectable defensive role. He hesitated to try dribbles and was a little slow in his buildup. After being squared up by Dean Huijsen, he did manage to score a goal, though, and he was deserving of the point for his efforts. Additionally, he nearly scored a second with a spectacular strike that Szczesny stopped. He also laid on for Jude Bellingham’s opening goal, earning him an assist for the evening.
Tchouameni
Xabi Alonso has incorporated Aurelien Tchouameni into every game this season due to his defensive prowess, which has made him an essential component of his system. Tchouameni kept the Blaugranes at bay with a number of vital tackles and blocks during the victory over Barcelona.
Xabi Alonso may bring up right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold, who bounced back from his calf injury against Juventus, as he looks to test his new defense in the Clasico. Due to hamstring issues, he would play center back with Fede Valverde while Dani Carvajal and Antonio Rudiger are still sidelined. In addition to Camavinga and Tchouameni, he might team up with Dean Huijsen and Eder Militao. Jude Bellingham and Arda Guler might therefore be paired with this trio to assist Kylian Mbappe in attacking. Last season, the Frenchman was dangerous when he sprinted behind the Barcelona high line, and he’ll probably try to do it again.
The Camavinga
This El Clásico is looking to be different from the last four, which have all been a lot of fun. Barca’s starting goalie, two essential offensive starters, and three more key squad members will be sidelined due to injury going into this match.
Camavinga has had a strong start to the season as a center midfielder for Real Madrid. It is anticipated that the Frenchman will be sidelined for at least a week after he twisted his knee during training on Tuesday.
He joins Los Blancos’ full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold and club captain Dani Carvajal on the sidelines. Barca’s injury problem is made worse by the fact that they are playing a powerful Madrid club that is flourishing under Xabi Alonso. Real Madrid should be able to score a lot of goals in this game because they have the lead in almost every area.
The Bellingham
Jude Bellingham was outstanding in the center of midfield once more, as his incredible defense-splitting ball set up Kylian Mbappe’s first goal in a flaming Clasico. When he has room and can easily generate passing lanes, he poses a serious threat.
He and Eder Militao help hold Barcelona at bay because they are reliable at the back. They provide a threat on the counter and offer a good outlet moving forward.
Vinicius Jr. is replaced by Rodrygo, who nearly produces a chance with a long free kick before the ball explodes off the crossbar. Camavinga is subsequently given another yellow card as Pedri overruns the ball and collides with him.
Mbappe
In addition to adding another goal to his already impressive Real Madrid total against Barcelona, Kylian Mbappe was the player of the match for Madrid. The Frenchman is just four goals short of Karim Benzema’s total for the 2025–2026 La Liga season.
Madrid won easily, extending their lead at the top of La Liga by five points. Jude Bellingham and Fermin Lopez both scored goals. At full-time, Dani Carvajal tried to make fun of Barcelona’s young player Lamine Yamal, which exacerbated tensions.
Trent Alexander-Arnold is on the bench after recovering from a calf injury, while Fede Valverde starts at right-back for Real Madrid. Accompanying Mbappe and Jude Bellingham in attack are Arda Guler and Rodrygo. Real Madrid had total control from the beginning, and after just seven minutes, Mbappe and Bellingham combined to increase their lead.
On Sunday, October 26, 2025, at 15:15 UTC, Real Madrid takes on Barcelona at Estadio Santiago Bernabéu. This game is a La Liga encounter. To see how Real Madrid and Barcelona have performed against one another in the past, you can view the whole head-to-head record and recent head-to-head matches on this page. You can follow the Real Madrid vs. Barcelona live score on FotMob, which offers a comprehensive suite of match features, such as:
Real-time updates: Besoccer provides rapid access to every goal, card, substitute, and crucial moment.
Possession, shots, corners, major chances produced, xG, momentum, and shot maps are among the many real-time statistics that Opta powers.
These are the lineups:
Real Madrid lineup (formation 4-1-4-1): Goalkeeper: Thibaut Courtois; Defenders: Federico Valverde, Éder Militao, Dean Huijsen, Alvaro Carreras; Defensive Midfield: Aurélien Tchouaméni; Midfielders: Jude Bellingham, Eduardo Camavinga, Arda Güler, Vinicius Junior; Forward: Kylian Mbappé.
Barcelona (4-2-3-1): Ferran Torres, Marcus Rashford, Fermin Lopez, Frenkie de Jong, Alejandro Balde, Eric Garcia, Pau Cubarsi, Wojciech Szczesny, Jules Koundé, and Frenkie de Jong.
Real Madrid’s injured players include David Alaba and Antonio Rüdiger. Players unavailable for Barcelona include Andreas Christensen (injury), Joan Garcia (injury), Marc-Andre ter Stegen (injury), Dani Olmo (injury), Gavi (injury), Raphinha (injury), and Hans-Dieter Flick (suspension).
Team performance and head-to-head record: See how Real Madrid and Barcelona have fared against one another by comparing recent outcomes. Real Madrid currently has a 20-win record, Barcelona has a 27-win record, and the teams have a 10-draw record.
