Barcelona vs Real Madrid preview, team news, h2h: Adeyemi hunts first El Clasico goal

It is time for this season’s first Barcelona vs Real Madrid El Clasico as the defending champions face their eternal foes who are now being managed by the Special One, José Mourinho.

Karim Adeyemi was born in Munich to a Nigerian father and a Romanian mother, and he was eligible to represent Nigeria before making his senior debut for Germany in September 2021 under Hansi Flick. Adeyemi is set to feature in his first-ever El Clasico and he would aim to crown his effort with his first career goal against Real Madrid.

Flick now coaches the forward at Barcelona, where Adeyemi is outside the predicted starting line-up for El Clasico but came off the bench in the 4-2 defeat at Paris Saint-Germain.

Barcelona have won every league game this season and victory would give them the first ten-from-ten start in La Liga history.

Real Madrid arrive in third place under José Mourinho, six points behind, and the Spotify Camp Nou kickoff is 21:00 WAT on Sunday, October 25.

Barcelona vs Real Madrid match radar

⚽ Barcelona vs Real Madrid
Competition	La Liga 2026-27, Matchday 10
Kickoff	Sunday, October 25, 2026, 21:00 WAT
Venue	Spotify Camp Nou, Barcelona
Where to Watch	SuperSport LaLiga
A Barcelona win would make them the first side to win their opening ten La Liga games and stretch their lead over Real Madrid to nine points.

Form and context: Barcelona vs Real Madrid

Barcelona have scored 22 and conceded seven in their last five league games, beating Levante 4-2, Racing Santander 7-2, Sevilla 3-1, Getafe 3-0 and Real Betis 5-2.

Only the Getafe match produced a clean sheet, which gives extra weight to the 4-2 defeat in Paris, their first loss of the season in any competition.

Camp Nou has been a fortress, with four home league wins this season, 17 goals scored and four conceded, extending a home league winning streak to 23 games once last season is included.

Real Madrid are third on 21 points, and their two league defeats came away at Real Betis (0-1) and Atlético Madrid (1-2).

Their recent form is strong in all competitions, with four straight wins over Villarreal (1-0), Roma (4-3 away), Sevilla (4-1) and RB Leipzig (4-1).

Away from home the league record is more even, with two wins and two defeats on their last four trips and six goals scored and six conceded.

Head-to-head: Barcelona vs Real Madrid

The all-time record is level at 264 official meetings, with 106 wins for each club and 52 draws.

Barcelona won the most recent Clasico 2-0 at Camp Nou on May 10, with Marcus Rashford and Ferran Torres scoring, and both players have since left the club.

The meetings before that were a 3-2 Barcelona win in the Supercopa final on January 11 and a 2-1 Real Madrid win in La Liga last October.

Across the last five meetings in all competitions Barcelona have won four, scoring 13 goals and conceding nine, and both sides scored in four of them.

Barcelona have won six of the last seven Clasicos in all competitions, all of them under Flick, though this is the first time Mourinho has faced them since returning to Real Madrid.

Team news and predicted XI for Barcelona vs Real Madrid

Barcelona	Real Madrid
Dani Olmo (left adductor) Eric García (thigh) Andreas Christensen (thigh) Jules Koundé (left-ankle sprain, expected to miss out)	Vinícius Júnior (suspended) Rodrygo (knee ligament) Raúl Asencio (leg stress fracture)

Barcelona

Barcelona are without Dani Olmo (left adductor), Eric García (thigh) and Andreas Christensen (thigh), and Jules Koundé is expected to miss out with a left-ankle sprain.

Fermín López replaces Olmo in the predicted line-up, while Raphinha leads the attack after starting in Paris for the first time since September 19 following a thigh problem.

Adeyemi, Gabriel Jesus and Gavi are among the attacking and midfield options for Flick on the bench.

Real Madrid

Real Madrid are without Vinícius Júnior, who is serving the second match of a four-game La Liga ban for his red card against Villarreal, plus the injured Rodrygo and Raúl Asencio.

Yan Diomande is expected to take the left-wing role, with Federico Valverde again at right-back after playing there in the wins over Sevilla and Leipzig.

Mourinho rotated heavily for the midweek Leipzig game with this fixture in mind, so that team is a poor guide to his selection.

Barcelona vs Real Madrid star player comparison: Raphinha vs Mbappé

Raphinha Forward · Barcelona	Stat	Kylian Mbappé Striker · Real Madrid
12	Goals	9
3	Assists	2
8	Appearances	9
7.7	Expected goals	8.9

Raphinha leads the league scoring charts with 12 goals and three assists in eight appearances, while Mbappé has nine goals and two assists in nine.

Mbappé’s expected goals total of 8.9 is almost identical to his goals tally, whereas Raphinha has outscored his 7.7 by more than four.

Raphinha has also scored seven goals against Real Madrid in his career, second among Brazilians in Clasico history behind Vinícius Júnior.

Barcelona vs Real Madrid managers: Flick and Mourinho

Hansi Flick is in his third season at Barcelona, and every Clasico win in their current run has come under him.

José Mourinho returned to Real Madrid on June 11 on a contract running to June 30, 2029, and this is his first Clasico since his first spell there ended in 2013.

The two managers have met once before, when Flick’s Bayern Munich beat Mourinho’s Tottenham 3-1 in a Champions League group game on December 11, 2019.

Tactical preview: High line lords Barcelona vs Real Madrid on the break

Barcelona defend with a high line and score heavily, so a back four without Koundé, García and Christensen is the main pressure point.

Gerard Martín and Pau Cubarsí are the likely centre-backs, and they will have to deal with Mbappé running into space whenever Real Madrid win the ball.

Real Madrid have scored six goals in four away league games, and Tchouaméni and Bernardo Silva should give them enough cover to hit Barcelona on the break.

On Barcelona’s right, Lamine Yamal will face Marc Cucurella, while Anthony Gordon on the left meets Valverde at right-back.

Rodri and Pedri must control the tempo in midfield, because every turnover in the centre is an invitation for Diomande and Mbappé to run at that high line.

Barcelona vs Real Madrid tips: The Naija Slip

Barcelona vs Real Madrid score prediction

🔮 Barcelona 3-1 Real Madrid

Barcelona’s home scoring and the absence of Vinícius Júnior point to a home win, while Mbappé against a high line gives the visitors a route to one goal. Likely scorers: Raphinha, Yamal and Gordon for Barcelona, Mbappé for Real Madrid.