El Clasico Lineup Showdown: Madrid and Barca Unveil Starting XIs at the Bernabéu
26 October 2025
Lineups and starting XI previews
Xabi Alonso and Hans Flick, the coaches of Real Madrid and Barcelona, announced each team’s lineup ahead of the eagerly awaited Clasico on Sunday evening at the Santiago Bernabéu, as part of La Liga’s tenth round.
Madrid’s XI features four midfielders—Jude Bellingham, Aurélien Tchouaméni, Eduardo Camavinga, and Arda Güler—behind a strike duo of Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior.
Barcelona’s lineup sees an attacking trio of Lamine Yamal, Ferran Torres, and Marcus Rashford, with Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski sidelined through injury.
Real Madrid’s starting XI is listed as follows:
Goalkeeper: Thibaut Courtois
Defense: Álvaro Carieras - Din Hoisen - Éder Militao - Fede Valverde
Midfield: Jude Bellingham - Aurélien Tchouaméni - Eduardo Camavinga - Arda Güler
Attack: Vinícius Júnior - Kylian Mbappé
Barcelona’s XI includes:
Goalkeeper: Wojciech Szczęsny
Defense: Alejandro Balde - Eric Garcia - Pau Kobarci - Jules Koundé
Midfield: Pedri González - Frenkie de Jong - Fermín López
Attack: Ferran Torres - Marcus Rashford - Lamine Yamal
Pre-Klassiko mood
Barça has played nine league matches so far, winning seven, drawing one, and losing one.
Their draw came with Rio Vallecano, while the loss was at the hands of Sevilla (a 1-4 thumping feared by fans).
Real Madrid have the same number of league games under their belt, with eight wins and one loss, the latter a high-scoring defeat to their city rivals Atlético Madrid (2-5).
Barça currently sits on 22 points, two behind Real Madrid, who reclaimed the top spot after beating Getafe 1-0, setting the stage for a Clasico that could spice up the title race.
The Clasico under the spotlight
The 2024-2025 season has been a rollercoaster for Madrid in Clasico encounters across competitions, with Barca taking the edge in several meetings.
In La Liga last season, the first Clasico of the campaign saw Barcelona cruise to a 4-0 win under Hans Flick against Carlo Ancelotti’s Madrid, as the attack trio of Yamal, Lewandowski, and Rafinha shone in the second half after a tight first half.
They then met again in the Saudi-hosted Spanish Super Cup final, where Madrid briefly led through Mbappé’s early strike, only for Barça to respond with a five-goal burst featuring Yamal, Lewandowski, Rafinha (two), and Balde, securing the trophy.
The third Clasico of the season occurred in the Copa del Rey final on 26 April 2025, with Madrid taking an early lead via Mbappé and Camavinga, only for Ferran Torres to equalize late in the game and force extra time. Jules Koundé then struck in the 116th minute to hand Barça the cup.
The fourth Clasico arrived in Barcelona in the league’s second meeting, where Madrid led 2-0 but Barça staged a sensational comeback to win 4-3 and seal the league title for Barça that season.
Two punchlines to close: If this clash were a comedy roast, the ball would be dodging defenders like a heckler dodges punchlines. And if football were a fashion show, the Bernabéu would be strutting in a kit that looks ready to negotiate a transfer fee higher than most players’ annual salaries.
