El Clasico Chronicles: Alonso’s Homebound Dream and Madrid’s Quest for Redemption
15 October 2025
Clásico Preview
The Real Madrid–Barcelona rivalry returns as Madrid hosts the Catalans at the Santiago Bernabéu on October 26, in the tenth round of La Liga, a match fans have been eagerly awaiting amid summer signings and a managerial shift.
Real Madrid currently top La Liga with 21 points from eight games, while Barcelona sit second on 19. Madrid have been nearly perfect in the league this season, save for a 5-2 loss to Atlético Madrid, with wins over Osasuna (1-0), Oviedo (3-0), Mallorca (2-1), Real Sociedad (2-1), Espanyol (2-0), Levante (4-1) and Villarreal (3-1).
Barcelona have claimed wins over Mallorca (3-0), Levante (3-2), Valencia (6-0), Getafe (3-0), Oviedo (3-1) and Real Sociedad (2-1), with a draw against Rayo Vallecano (1-1) and a 4-1 defeat to Sevilla.
Ahead of the Clasico, Barcelona host Girona on October 18 and then Olympiacos in the Champions League on October 21.
Real Madrid travel to Getafe on October 19 and host Juventus in the Champions League on October 22.
The upcoming Clasico also presents Madrid with a chance to avenge last season’s pain, having lost all four meetings with Barca across competitions and venues last term. The season’s first meeting saw a 5-0 Barca victory at the Camp Nou, followed by a 4-3 Barcelona win in the return leg.
Madrid also lost 5-2 in the Saudi Super Cup final in Jeddah and 3-2 in the Copa del Rey final in Seville after extra time. Even in last season’s pre-season, Barcelona beat Madrid 2-1 in the United States.
Madrid are counting on their summer business to shift momentum: defender Din Huisen from Bournemouth, Álvaro Carrreras from Benfica, Trent Alexander-Arnold from Liverpool, and Franco Mastantono from River Plate have all joined the squad.
Yet the biggest weapon is the coaching change. After Carlo Ancelotti’s departure, Spaniard Xabi Alonso took charge, delivering historic results at his previous club Bayer Leverkusen—Bundesliga champions in 2023–24, German Cup winners, and a Europa League final appearance that season, followed by a German Super Cup win to start the next campaign.
Alonso’s memories with Madrid against Barca run deep from his playing days between 2009 and 2014, with both joyous moments and painful ones that the coach still recalls vividly.
And then there’s the infamous “five-goal night” at Camp Nou in 2010, when Barca raced to a 5-0 halftime lead and left Madrid counting the cost. The game’s pain became fuel for the next season’s revenge.
In a 2021 episode of Jamie Carragher’s podcast “The Greatest Game,” Alonso recalled that night: “We knew if we were too kind, they would kill us.” He described the Camp Nou rout as the worst night of his career, a turning point that strengthened Madrid’s resolve to bounce back the following season.
He also explained why he chose Liverpool over Real Madrid in 2004 after genuine Madrid interest: Liverpool’s tangible enthusiasm, driven by Rafa Benítez’s approach, swayed him. “Liverpool’s real interest, and Rafa’s conviction, convinced me,” he said, underscoring how timing and belief shaped a career path that eventually led him to Madrid as a coach rather than a player.
As Alonso plots a return to familiar grounds, the Clasico promises a clash of memory, ambition, and renewal—two clubs at crucial crossroads, two coaches with different yet overlapping ideas, and a stadium ready to write another chapter in this enduring saga.
Punchline time: If this game were a sniper, its aim would be precise—elusive to the naïve, deadly to the unprepared. Punchline two: In Clasico terms, even the popcorn has a tactical plan, and the memes are offside just waiting to happen.
