It's the big day! The first Clasico of the season will take place this afternoon at 4:15 p.m. on the pitch of the Santiago Bernabéu. A match for which it is difficult to designate a real favorite, since the two teams have not necessarily reassured their supporters in recent weeks. On the Merengue side, and despite more than satisfactory results, the play of Xabi Alonso's team has not yet convinced everyone in Madrid. Opposite, Hansi Flick's team seems much more fragile than last season, and the Blaugrana collective has thus shown a lot of weaknesses in the defensive sequences.
On the other hand, what is certain is that Real Madrid will want revenge for last season's Clasicos, won hands down by Lamine Yamal's gang who have clearly increased tensions in recent days and added fuel to the fire with his remarkable outing on the refereeing on the Kings League stage. The little Barcelona prodigy will therefore be followed and marked very closely by the Merengue defenders…
Notable absentees
For this shock, Xabi Alonso should bring out a rather classic eleven, with only one problem: the right back position, where Carvajal risks being right after his injury and Trent Alexander-Arnold is not recovered. It is therefore Fede Valverde who risks having to accompany Carreras, Huijsen and Militao ahead of Courtois. In the middle, we should find Tchouameni, Camavinga, Bellingham and Arda Güler, with the Turk who risks having to fall to the right. Unsurprisingly, Vinicius Jr and Kylian Mbappé will be up front.
For his part, Hansi Flick faces more headaches, starting with the goalkeeper position where Szczesny must replace the incumbent Joan Garcia. In front of him, a line of four made up of Balde, Eric Garcia, Cubarsi and Koundé. In the middle, a De Jong-Pedri-Fermin Lopez trio is expected, to support an offensive sector deprived of Raphinha and Lewandowski. Marcus Rashford and Ferran Torres should therefore accompany Lamine Yamal on the attacking front.
