Barcelona vs Real Madrid: Is Barca retaining the La Liga crown in the El Clasico?
by Thobelani Moyo | by Thobelani Moyo
Barca are one point away from La Liga glory
There could hardly be a better way for FC Barcelona to retain the La Liga crown than on home soil. The Catalan giants are just one point away from glory this Sunday in the remodelled Camp Nou, where a limited number of spectators could witness the crowning moment of their campaign.
Failure to defeat their arch rivals and the dropping of three points could delay their crowning. This is more than just a matchup for Hansi Flick and company, who are out to exact revenge for their 2-1 league defeat against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu in October 2025.
History in the making: Only in 1932 has an El Clasico previously decided the destination of the league title!
However, shortly after that setback, they met again, this time in the Spanish Super Cup. Barca neutralised their threat with a hard-fought 3-2 victory at King Abdullah Sport City Stadium to retain the crown.
Their form in La Liga has been undoubtedly impressive. In fact, they are the team to beat, having won ten consecutive matches and are on the cusp of making it 11 consecutive wins for the first time in over 10 years.
The question now is, is this going to be enough to see them secure all three points in the El Clasico? Find out what our SportyTrader betting experts have to say in our Barcelona vs Real Madrid prediction for more insights into the game.
Camp Nou is more than just a venue for Blaugrana, but it has been their stronghold this season. Apart from boasting the league's best home record, scoring a whopping 52 goals with a rock-solid defense that has conceded just nine goals, they are the only side that has maintained a 100% record in their last 17 games.
To add to that, they've won two of their last three home matches against Real Madrid. Before this, they were on a three-match winless run spanning from December 2019 to October 2021.
La Casa Blanca's title hopes are hanging by a thread
Real Madrid have one objective in this fixture: to secure maximum points. Anything less than that, they can kiss their title hopes goodbye.
La Casa Blanca boasts a star-studded squad at their disposal but have battled a host of issues this season. The probability of them concluding the season without a silverware has hit the top of the scale.
To be realistic, the La Liga crown is no longer within their grasp, and it's not up to them to decide anymore. They may prevent their arch-rivals from securing maximum points or even a point, but the damage has already been done, and their fate now depends on results elsewhere.
Real Madrid's situation right now in the title race:
| Position | Team | Matches Played | Wins | Draws | Losses | GF/GA | GD | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Barcelona | 34 | 29 | 1 | 4 | 89:31 | 58 | 88 |
| 2. | Real Madrid | 34 | 24 | 5 | 5 | 70:31 | 39 | 77 |
Interim manager Alvaro Arbeloa has done his very best to steer the club to greener pastures, but his impact has been limited by the deep-rooted issues within the squad. This marks his first El Clasico game in charge, which underlines his lack of experience at this level of high pressure. When asked about the challenge ahead, this is what he had to say during the pre-match press conference:
"We are ambitious to perform well and go for the win."
Real Madrid comes into this match after a convincing 2-0 away win over Espanyol. Not only was this their first clean sheet in La Liga since February 8th, but that victory also delayed Barca's title celebrations. So far, they have avoided defeat in their last four league games. Away from home, their form has been inconsistent, with just one win in three outings.
Players to watch: Torres vs Vinicius - who will outperform who?
Lamine Yamal has been Barcelona's standout young talent and a game-changer. However, he won't be available for this final El Clasico clash of the season as he is out with a thigh injury. This has seen him miss two games thus far. He has scored 16 goals and provided 11 assists in his last 28 appearances for the club.
Despite this unfortunate setback, Barca have a wide array of talent at their disposal that could make life difficult for their opponents. One particular name that stands out is Ferran Torres, who has scored 15 goals in his last 30 appearances.
The Spaniard recently scored the winner in the team's 2-1 victory over Osasuna on the road. That was his fifth direct goal contribution in four games across all competitions. It's likely the 26-year-old will play an important part this Sunday as a late-game catalyst.
Over to the Real Madrid camp, Vinicius Junior is likely to be a threat in the final third and cause problems down the left flank. The Brazilian International has netted 15 goals and dished out five assists in his last 33 La Liga games.
More impressively, he has scored in three consecutive league games (four goals scored) and has been involved in four goal contributions across all competitions.
He also scored the equaliser in the team's 3-2 defeat against Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final on January 11th. With their talisman, Kylian Mbappe, unavailable for this clash, expect the 25-year-old to step up.
