ไทย
English
中國人
The most storied rivalry in football takes center stage this weekend as a desperate Real Madrid side makes the trip to Camp Nou to face a near-unstoppable Barcelona team.
The stakes are always enormous in any El Clásico, but the first encounter between the Spanish heavyweights in 2026–27 carries additional weight. Real Madrid already trail Barcelona by six points in the La Liga table, and a defeat against Hansi Flick's side could effectively end the title race before November even arrives.
The silver lining for Los Blancos is that they finally appear to have rediscovered their best form after a shaky beginning under José Mourinho. The 15-time European champions have strung together four consecutive victories since the November international break, with their latest domestic win coming via a commanding 4–1 victory over Sevilla on Sunday.
"That was the best performance from Madrid this season," Luca Dallolio said on the latest episode of the Sports Illustrated Football Club Show. "That is the perfect time to hit that form, going into that Barça game."
Real Madrid were truly impressive at the weekend, looking rejuvenated after Mourinho made a series of changes to his starting lineup. Yan Diomande stepped in for the suspended Vinícius Júnior on the left wing, Arda Güler dropped into a deeper midfield role, and Federico Valverde took charge of the right flank.
"I really feel like this is the best team, the best XI, we've seen of Real Madrid this season, by far," Dallolio added. "They look like the most cohesive unit, they seem like they're all on the same page."
But is Real Madrid's strongest lineup capable of toppling Barcelona on their own turf this Sunday?
Barcelona Inflict Fear Against Even the Best Opponents
Barcelona have enjoyed a flawless start to their 2026–27 La Liga campaign. The Catalans claimed a perfect 27 points from their opening nine fixtures, never once looking threatened.
Even more remarkable is how dominant the reigning Spanish champions have been on home ground. Flick's side have netted a staggering 39 goals—all without a traditional center forward leading the attack—while conceding just nine in domestic competition this season.
Central to the team's achievements is Lamine Yamal, who relishes nothing more than putting on a spectacle against Real Madrid.
"It's becoming a bit frightening, because what can't he do?" Lyes Bouzidi said of the teenage sensation. "What can't he do? He's unstoppable one-v-one. He can thread a pass out of nowhere, and now he's curling it from 30 yards out after beating a man on the dribble.
"How do you stop a player like that? When he's performing at this level, how do you stop Lamine Yamal?"
That's the question Mourinho and his staff must answer on Sunday. Can the "Special One" guide his team to all three points at Camp Nou, or will this weekend's Clásico simply unfold the way most anticipate—in Barcelona's favor?