Can a team arrive at El Clásico with a perfect league record and a bruised ego at the same time? Barcelona do exactly that tonight, Sunday 25 October, when they host Real Madrid at Spotify Camp Nou on La Liga matchday 10. Kick-off is at 9pm in Spain, 10pm Makkah time. Hansi Flick's side have won all nine league games and scored 39 goals, and no team has ever won its first ten, yet they come in off a 4-2 Champions League defeat in Paris on Tuesday.
Madrid sit third, six points back, after league slips against Atlético Madrid and Real Betis, though they cruised past RB Leipzig 4-1 in Europe on Wednesday. They will be without Vinícius Júnior, who is serving a domestic suspension for his red card in the win over Villarreal, while Rodrygo and Raúl Asencio are injured.
Flick's list of absentees is longer. Dani Olmo, Eric García, Andreas Christensen and Roony Bardghji are all out, and Jules Koundé is a doubt with an ankle problem. The German coach can still count on Lamine Yamal, who has eight goals in nine league matches.
Across the touchline stands José Mourinho, back in a Clásico for the first time in 13 years and unbeaten in his last five meetings with Barcelona in all competitions, with three wins and two draws. Kylian Mbappé brings his own record against the Catalans: 12 goals in 10 games.
Opta's model still leans towards the hosts, giving Barcelona a 54.4% chance of winning, Madrid 26.1% and a draw 19.5%. The last meeting between the sides, in May, went 2-0 to Barcelona, with Marcus Rashford and Ferran Torres scoring.
