FC Barcelona (1st, 79pts) vs Real Madrid CF (2nd, 75pts)


Competition/Round

: 2024-25
La Liga
, Matchday 35


Barcelona Outs & Doubts

: Pablo Torre, Jules Kounde, Marc Bernal (out)


Real Madrid Outs & Doubts

: Dani Carvajal, Éder Militão, David Alaba, Eduardo Camavinga, Antonio Rüdiger, Ferland Mendy (out)


Date/Time

: Sunday, May 11, 2025, 4.15pm CET (Barcelona), 3.15pm BST/WAT (UK & Nigeria), 10.15am ET, 7.15am PT (USA), 7.45pm IST (India)


Venue

:
Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys
, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain


Referee

: Alejandro Hernández Hernández


VAR

: Juan Martínez Munuera


How to watch on TV

: ESPN (USA), TSN 3 (Canada), Premier Sports 1 (UK), SuperSport (Nigeria),
Movistar
(Spain),

others


How to watch online

:

ESPN+

(USA), LaLigaTV (UK), GXR World (India),
Movistar+
(Spain),

others

Following a heartbreaking defeat to Inter Milan in extra-time to end their Champions League journey at the semi-final stage, Barcelona are set to play the biggest game of the season as they welcome Real Madrid to the
Montjuïc
Olympic Stadium for the fourth and final
El Clásico
of the campaign on Sunday afternoon.

Barça come into this one with a four-point lead at the top of the table, and a victory over their biggest rivals would extend the gap to seven points and secure the head-to-head tiebreaker, which basically means the Catalans can virtually wrap up the league title this weekend and would need just two points from their final three matches to mathematically clinch the championship.

The
Blaugrana
will also have the head-to-head tiebreaker in their favor with a draw or even a three-goal loss, all thanks to their incredible 4-0 win in the reverse fixture at the
Bernabéu
. Securing the head-to-head is absolutely crucial, especially in case of a defeat, because Madrid would have to finish ahead of Barça to win the title. With the head-to-head in their pocket Barça can be champions even if the two sides finish with the same number of points after the last matchday, so they can still control their destiny as long as they don’t lose in embarrassing fashion.

But the only thought going through the minds of Hansi Flick and his players is winning on Sunday: it’s the best way to bounce back from one of the most painful losses in recent Barça memory, and a way to show their mental strength and resilience once again. There’s no doubt everyone is beyond exhausted after 120 brutal minutes in Italy and a marathon of a season so far, but they must find a way to muster enough energy to finish the job on Sunday.

Barça have won all three meetings this season by a combined score of 12-4, but their most recent clash in the
Copa del Rey
The final was the narrowest contest so far: the Catalans required a dramatic last-minute intervention and an awe-inspiring performance during extra time from Jules Koundé to triumph in Seville after being dominated for much of the second half. This might be the strategy that Carlo Ancelotti has uncovered to crack the enigma posed by Hansi Flick.

The inclusion of Arda Güler along with the tactical shift towards a straightforward 4-4-2 setup featuring Kylian Mbappé and Vinicius upfront generated numerous challenges for the opponents.
Blaugrana
WithMbappe eventually finding a method to avoid being called offside against Barcelona’s advanced defensive line and Vinicius utilizing his speed and agility to maneuver around the less nimble Barca backline, generating significant threats.

Barcelona dominated the first half and might well have gone ahead by at least two goals even with ten men on the pitch, but Real Madrid made an intimidating atmosphere for the referee through their pre-game behavior. This allowed them considerable leeway to escalate from rough physical play into outright violent conduct during parts of the match.

We don’t know if
Los Blancos
They will have similar opportunities this time, yet it’s clear their defense has taken quite a hit as all key defensive players are sidelined with injuries for the rest of the season. Barcelona needs to capitalize on this situation because both Lucas Vázquez and Fran García—who struggle significantly when defending—are expected to begin at fullback positions against Raphinha and Lamine Yamal.

The focus should be entirely on the wings for success here: if Barcelona manages to contain Mbappe, Vinicius, and Güler while outplaying Vázquez and García, they’ll secure victory. It’s straightforward like that. However, if their performance from the latter part of the Copa del Rey final persists, the game will get significantly harder, giving Real Madrid a genuine opportunity to spring an upset.
Montjüic
and exert immense pressure on Barça to triumph in all three of their challenging upcoming matches (away against Espanyol, at home versus Villarreal, and away against Athletic Bilbao) to clinch the championship.

A tie isn’t necessarily unfavorable. Certainly not. While Barcelona shouldn’t aim solely for a tie, they could still feel content with one after ninety minutes. Provided they avoid losing, they maintain complete command over the championship battle. They must take heed of all the issues that arose towards the conclusion of their match in Milan and get ready to handle yet another grueling encounter that could define their campaign.

A domestic treble and a four-game season sweep of their biggest rivals is on the line. What else could you ask for?

Let’s dance.

POSSIBLE LINEUPS


Barcelona (4-2-3-1)

Szczesny; Eric, Cubarsi, Inigo, Martin; De Jong, Pedri; Ymal, Olmo, Raphinha; Ferran


Real Madrid (4-4-2)

: Courtois; Vázquez, Asencio, Tchouameni, García; Güler, Ceballos, Valverde, Bellingham; Mbappé, Vinicius

PREDICTION

My instincts tell me this game will end in a tie, but I’m opting to hope that Barcelona will demonstrate their strength and perseverance and manage to secure a clear win: 2-1 for the favorites.