Xabi Alonso's side have started the 2025/26 LaLiga season in fine form, and currently sit atop the table with 24 points from a possible 27 available, winning eight and losing one of their nine games.
Barcelona can go top with a win
Hansi Flick's Barcelona are right behind them despite struggling with injuries, and with 22 points from their matches, they can overtake Los Blancos at the summit with another win in the Spanish capital.
After beating their fiercest rivals in every game last season, including the Copa del Rey final, the Blaugranes are on a roll, but with so many stars missing, it'll be a tall order for them to continue their run.
On Friday, Raphinha was absent from Barca's final training session despite seemingly coming through the week unscathed.
Were he not to be risked as seems likely, he will remain on the sidelines with star striker, Robert Lewandowski, midfielders, Dani Olmo and Gavi, and first-choice goalkeeper, Joan Garcia.
Frenkie de Jong has been ill but trained recently, so he may well be available.
Though the Catalans have shown they're able to cope with the various absences, El Clasico always presents a challenge different to any other.
Kylian Mbappe has double figures already
With Kylian Mbappe firing on all cylinders already - his 10 goals are at least four more than any other player in the division - the French World Cup winner represents the biggest threat to another Barca victory, not to mention that the high line, which was so successful last season for Sunday's visitors, has been torn apart time and again in 2025/26.
Never was that better evidenced than in their surprising 4-1 defeat against Sevilla at the Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan, though Barca were lucky that Real Sociedad didn't make more of the many chances they had in their eventual 2-1 defeat.
Real's only reverse was a painful one - 5-2 at the home of local rivals, Atletico. The memories of that match and how much they were outplayed will certainly be used as a motivating factor in this one, as will the return to form after injury of Jude Bellingham, a player who has often been a thorn in Barcelona's side.
Goals guaranteed in El Clasico
Goals have been virtually guaranteed in the fixture of late, with all of the last six games seeing at least four goals scored. The last LaLiga win for Real in this fixture came back on April 21st, 2024, and since then, Barcelona have scored four, five, three and four goals against them.
Whilst the visitors could be missing two of their usual front three, Marcus Rashford has been in fine form, and another goal or assist in the biggest club fixture in world football will surely enhance his chances of staying at the club after his loan spell is concluded.
With Lamine Yamal back to full fitness and undoubtedly looking forward to another Clasico encounter, this might be the second proper test of the Los Blancos defence.
The hosts will be missing Dean Huijsen, Dani Carvajal, Antonio Rudiger and David Alaba on Sunday, and at least three of the quartet might consider themselves as starters when fully fit.
Real's defence decimated
Fede Valverde has been filling in as an emergency right-back, Alvaro Carreras has played out on the left, and Alaba partnered Eder Militao centrally last time out against Getafe before going off, so the defensive line is really make do and mend for Alonso at present.
The collective combative presence of Bellingham, Aurelien Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga is therefore required at both ends of the pitch.
How the trio deal with balls in between the lines and the likes of Fermin Lopez finding space between them and Real's back four could ultimately dictate the outcome of this one.
Perhaps Alonso's biggest call is whether to return Vinicius Junior to the starting line-up, as leaving him out of the biggest game of the season so far will send the most obvious message to the Brazilian.
He is joint third in the top scorers list this season with five goals and joint second in the assists column with four, the same as Lamine. To dump on him now would therefore be the bitterest pill to swallow.
Pedri could determine the outcome
Barcelona supporters can take heart in the fact that their team are ranked first among all 20 teams this season for goals scored (24), total shots (190), shots on target (77), passing (5817) and passing accuracy (90%).
Pedri's 820 passes and 22 chances created are the most for his side, evidencing how important he'll be once more. If his creative influence can be diluted on the biggest stage, Real can have the lion's share of the ball and, as a result, control of the game as a whole.
As if to emphasise how well matched the teams are, the hosts have an identical passing accuracy and are second to Barca in all the other metrics. Furthermore, neither side have lost after scoring the first goal in a match this season, but have both lost when conceding first.
Real are at their most potent in the 15 minutes leading into half-time (six goals scored), which is when Barca have been at their most vulnerable (four conceded), whilst the Catalans score most of their goals (six) in the first 15 after the break (when Los Blancos have conceded the most - three), and the final 15 minutes of the match (also six).
What a game we have in prospect.
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