El Clasico: Barcelona vs Real Madrid in La Liga Matchday 34
Kevin Hand
Barcelona can win the La Liga title at home by avoiding defeat against Real Madrid in Sunday's El Clasico. Real Madrid are in crisis with key midfielder Federico Valverde injured and an internal investigation launched, while Kylian Mbappe is a doubt.
Barcelona and Real Madrid face off in the 264th El Clasico this weekend, with the teams in starkly contrasting form. While hosts Barcelona soar atop the La Liga standings, Real Madrid are mired in crisis ahead of their trip to Catalonia.
Coach Hansi Flick's side lead the table by 11 points over Real Madrid with just four matchdays remaining. A draw or victory in this fixture would see Barcelona retain the league title on home soil against their eternal rivals.
Team News
Real Madrid's attacking star Kylian Mbappe is a doubt with a hamstring injury. The French forward leads the La Liga scoring charts with 24 goals, three ahead of second-placed Vedat Muriqi of Mallorca. Meanwhile, Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal has been ruled out for the season with an injury.
Despite his prolific scoring, Mbappe faces intense fan pressure. A petition titled "Mbappe out" has collected over 33 million signatures calling for the club to sell the forward.
Midfielder Federico Valverde is definitely out of El Clasico after being hospitalized with a head injury sustained in a collision with teammate Aurelien Tchouameni during Thursday's training session. Real Madrid has launched an internal investigation and initiated disciplinary proceedings against both players. Tchouameni's availability for Sunday's match remains uncertain.
History of El Clasico
The term El Clasico (meaning "The Classic") first appeared in Spanish media in the 1960s to describe matches between the country's two biggest clubs. Even before that, the fixture was already considered one of the most intense derbies in world sport.
Initially, "Viejo Clasico" (Old Classic) referred to the Madrid derby between Real and Athletic Bilbao. But in the 1990s, as Barcelona emerged as a top power under Johan Cruyff, the rivalry between Real Madrid and Barca truly exploded, and El Clasico became a globally recognized name.
Into the 21st century, the rivalry intensified further with the tactical battles between Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho on the sidelines, and the on-field duel between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Head-to-Head Record
The first match between the two clubs took place on May 13, 1902, in the Copa de la Coronacion (precursor to the Copa del Rey), with Barcelona winning 3-1. To date, after 261 meetings, Real Madrid have won 106 matches and Barcelona have won 105.
In terms of titles, Real Madrid have won La Liga 36 times, while Barcelona are aiming for their 28th league crown.
All-Time Top Scorers in El Clasico
- Lionel Messi (Argentina) – 26 goals for Barcelona
- Alfredo Di Stefano (Spain) – 18 goals for Real Madrid
- Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) – 18 goals for Real Madrid
- Karim Benzema (France) – 16 goals for Real Madrid
- Raul (Spain) – 15 goals for Real Madrid
Last Five Meetings
- Jan 11, 2026 – Spanish Super Cup final: Barcelona 3-2 Real Madrid
- Oct 26, 2025 – La Liga: Real Madrid 2-1 Barcelona
- May 11, 2025 – La Liga: Barcelona 4-3 Real Madrid
- Apr 26, 2025 – Copa del Rey final: Barcelona 3-2 Real Madrid (aet)
- Jan 12, 2025 – Spanish Super Cup final: Real Madrid 2-5 Barcelona
