The only thing standing in the way of Real Madrid extending its La Liga 43-game unbeaten streak is Barcelona.
The first El Clásico of the 2024–25 season has much more than just bragging rights on the line. Real Madrid trails Barcelona by three points and could surge to the top of the La Liga standings with a victory over its biggest rivals. Even with Kylian Mbappé in the side, though, the task of defeating the Catalans is never easy, especially with the recent injuries hitting Los Blancos.
Both Rodrygo and Thibaut Courtois suffered thigh injuries against Borussia Dortmund on Oct. 22, leaving Carlo Ancelotti without two of his starters. Dani Carvajal and David Alaba remain sidelined as well. Now, Ancelotti must decide what formation and lineup he plays against the team with just one La Liga defeat in 10 matches.
Here's what Real Madrid's XI could look like against Hansi Flick's men on Saturday, Oct. 26.
JOIN SI SOCCER'S REAL MADRID WHATSAPP COMMUNITY - GET ALL THE LATEST NEWS AND ANALYSIS STRAIGHT TO YOUR PHONE
Real Madrid Predicted Lineup vs. Barcelona (4-4-2)
GK: Andriy Lunin—The Ukraine international is back between the posts for Los Blancos as Courtois recovers from injury.
RB: Lucas Vázquez—The Spaniard needs to bounce back from his poor defensive performance against Dortmund if he wants to silence Raphinha.
CB: Éder Militão—The Brazil international must lock down La Liga's top goalscorer, Robert Lewandowski if Real Madrid wants to collect three points.
CB: Antonio Rüdiger—In addition to his defensive duties, Rüdiger will be Real Madrid's biggest target on set pieces. The center-back already bagged two goals this season.
LB: Ferland Mendy—The left-back faces his toughest task of the season so far going up against Lamine Yamal, who has five goals and seven assists across all competitions.
RM: Federico Valverde—A 15th consecutive start for Valverde is in the cards. The midfielder will need to be at his best to help Los Blancos control the tempo of the game.
CM: Aurélien Tchouaméni—After only playing five minutes against Dortmund, expect Tchouaméni to rejoin the XI.
CM: Luka Modrić—The 2018 Ballon d'Or winner could get the nod in Ancelotti's 4-4-2. Eduardo Camavinga is also an option for the manager.
LM: Jude Bellingham—The hero of both La Liga matches against Barcelona last season, Bellingham still has yet to score for Real Madrid in its 2024–25 campaign.
ST: Kylian Mbappé—The Frenchman could score his ninth goal for Real Madrid in his first El Clásico.
READ THE LATEST REAL MADRID NEWS, PREVIEWS, PREDICTIONS, TRANSFER RUMORS AND MORE
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Real Madrid Predicted Lineup vs. Barcelona: La Liga.
