- Oct 16, 2026
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Barcelona hosts Real Madrid on Sunday at Spotify Camp Nou in a highly anticipated El Clasico that marks Jose Mourinho's return to the stadium where he coached Real Madrid from 2010 to 2013.
Real Madrid will be without striker Vinicius Jr., who received a red card against Villarreal at the Bernabeu last week and is suspended for four games. His absence has led some analysts to favor Barcelona in the fixture.
Hansi Flick, who has won two LaLiga titles in his first two years at Barcelona, will face Mourinho, who was called back by Florentino Perez to re-establish Real Madrid's supremacy in Spain. Barcelona bolstered its squad by signing Rodri in the summer, with the Spanish captain reportedly rejecting Real Madrid first.
Real Madrid appears stronger in midfield, with options including Jude Bellingham, Federico Valverde, and summer free agent Bernardo Silva. Barcelona counters with Pedri, Gavi, Frenkie de Jong, and Rodri. In attack, Kylian Mbappe and Endrick lead Real Madrid, while Barcelona features Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, and Gabriel Jesus.
Source: CBS Sports - Sat Oct 24, 9:06 PM ET
Written by the SportsMafia Wire desk in our own words from the original reporting (AI-assisted, checked against the source).