Barcelona can answer their first defeat of the season by claiming a league record against Real Madrid. Beat their rivals on Sunday and Hansi Flick’s side will become the first team to win its opening ten LaLiga matches, surpassing the nine straight victories Madrid managed in 1968/69.
Their trip to face Paris Saint-Germain ended in a 4–2 defeat that stopped a run of 11 victories across all competitions. Barça twice drew level, with Lamine Yamal making it 2–2 in the 79th minute. Vitinha scored two minutes later, and Fabián Ruiz added another before Barcelona could recover again.
Madrid visit Spotify Camp Nou on Sunday, October 25, with kickoff at 4 p.m. ET. Barcelona have 27 points from nine league matches to Madrid’s 21. A home win would stretch that advantage to nine points; an away victory would cut it to three. Atlético Madrid, currently second on 22, also have an interest in the outcome.
In Paris, Flick saw a team that could create chances but struggled to keep the right distances between its players. He pointed to tiredness and turnovers, and acknowledged the drop after PSG’s third goal. Closing those spaces gives Barcelona a specific task before facing Kylian Mbappé and Madrid’s attack.
Raphinha builds fitness as both managers weigh options
Raphinha’s involvement is encouraging. He started against PSG and played an hour before making way for Adeyemi. The Brazilian explained that his reduced minutes were planned because he’d completed less than a week of training, and said he finished feeling good and strong. Flick now has to judge how much he can ask of him on Sunday.
Dani Olmo won’t be available. A left adductor injury sustained in a collision in Paris is expected to keep him out for around a month. Fermín López replaced him in the 27th minute and supplied the pass for Xavi Espart’s equalizer, putting himself directly into the discussion about who takes Olmo’s place.
Jules Koundé remains a doubt after an ankle sprain, leaving another decision at right-back. Espart, 19, scored his first senior European goal against PSG after advancing into the penalty area. Flick must weigh another start for the teenager against whatever alternatives become available as Koundé’s recovery progresses.
Rodri’s workload has already been managed with the Clásico in mind. Marc Bernal started in Paris, with Rodri entering after an hour. Flick said the decision reflected the midfielder’s accumulated minutes and would leave him fresh for Madrid. His use of Rodri will be central to how Barça try to keep the team connected.
Yamal’s Paris equalizer took him to ten goals in 12 appearances across competitions, alongside ten assists. Flick can still look to him for the pass or finish that changes a match. Against PSG, though, that moment arrived without bringing Barça lasting control.
Mourinho has choices of his own. Madrid’s comeback against Roma brought decisive contributions from substitutes, including Endrick’s equalizer in a 4–3 win. That depth gives him several ways to change a game, but Sunday also requires an attack built without the suspended Vinícius Júnior.
Yan Diomande and Endrick both started against Sevilla, alongside Mbappé. Mourinho then changed five starters for the Leipzig match while retaining Güler and Bellingham. Finding room for his attacking players has to come with enough support for the midfield, particularly when Barça move the ball quickly into Yamal or Raphinha.
Valverde’s position is another clue. Mourinho selected him at right-back against both Sevilla and Leipzig, with Trent Alexander-Arnold and Denzel Dumfries available on the bench. Keeping him there on Sunday would give the back line his running and recovery work, while asking a different midfield combination to handle Barça’s possession.
Madrid can turn Barça’s first defeat into a second. Flick’s response has to give his depleted defense more help while keeping Yamal and Raphinha involved at the other end.
