Real Madrid head to Barcelona for Sunday’s El Clásico with José Mourinho facing a major attacking selection dilemma, as Vinícius Júnior begins the second match of his four-game suspension.
Barcelona host their rivals at Spotify Camp Nou at 9pm CET in the first competitive meeting between the sides this season. Both teams come into the fixture after contrasting Champions League results: Barcelona suffered a 4-2 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain, while Real Madrid beat RB Leipzig 4-1 at the Santiago Bernabéu.
The match could prove important for Mourinho, whose side sit third in La Liga after losing two of their opening nine league games. Real Madrid have, however, won their last four matches in all competitions.
Mourinho has extensive experience of El Clásico from his first spell in charge of Real Madrid, recording five wins, six draws and six defeats in 17 meetings with Barcelona.
Real Madrid team news
Mourinho is expected to have most of his squad available, although several players remain sidelined.
Vinícius Júnior is suspended after being sent off against Villarreal for pulling the hair of opponent Nathan Saliba. The Brazilian winger will serve the second match of his four-game ban.
Rodrygo Goes is also unavailable after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury. The forward is expected to return towards the end of the year, although he has yet to train with Mourinho’s squad.
Defender Raúl Asencio remains out after undergoing surgery for a broken leg last month. He is not expected to resume training until the new year.
Ferland Mendy has partially returned to group training following a serious hamstring injury, but Sunday’s match could come too soon for the French defender.
Real Madrid predicted lineup vs Barcelona
Real Madrid are expected to line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation:
Thibaut Courtois; Denzel Dumfries, Dean Huijsen, Ibrahima Konaté, Marc Cucurella; Arda Güler, Aurélien Tchouameni; Fede Valverde, Jude Bellingham, Yan Diomande; Kylian Mbappé.
One of Mourinho’s main decisions concerns the right flank. The coach praised the partnership between Arda Güler and Fede Valverde during the week, but could push Valverde further forward while bringing Denzel Dumfries into the starting defence for his defensive qualities.
Yan Diomande is expected to take Vinícius’ place on the left wing. The summer signing from RB Leipzig has made an encouraging start in Madrid, registering three goals and three assists in his last four appearances.
Arda Güler is likely to partner Tchouameni in midfield after starting against Sevilla. The Turkish international has scored in consecutive matches and provided two assists against Roma in the previous game.
At the back, Konaté and Huijsen are expected to continue as Mourinho’s preferred centre-back pairing. Antonio Rüdiger could therefore be left out, with Cucurella likely to start at left-back.
Options from the bench
Mourinho will also have several attacking alternatives available. Carlos Espí has already scored two decisive late goals this season, while Brahim Díaz provided an assist in the Champions League win over Leipzig.
Bernardo Silva, who opened the scoring against Leipzig, is another experienced option capable of making an impact if Real Madrid need a change during the match.
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