Barcelona's hopes of winning three trophies were dashed with a 4-3 loss to Inter Milan in extra time on Tuesday, but they could virtually secure the LaLiga title by defeating Real Madrid on Sunday.
The current leaders, Barcelona, are four points ahead of Real Madrid. Extending their lead to seven points with just three matches left would make it very difficult for the rivals to catch up.
Hansi Flick's team completed the first part of potentially winning three titles when they emerged victorious with a 3-2 score in the Copa del Rey final against Real last month. They had previously triumphed over Real 5-2 in the Super Cup and 4-0 at the Bernabeu in the league.
Matches between these two teams are usually exciting, but Real Madrid's defensive line is thin compared to their impressive attackers, which could lead to another defeat for them.
Team news
Barcelona will be missing Marc Bernal, Marc Casado, and Pablo Torre due to knee problems. Jules Kounde, who was suspended for the Inter match, is dealing with a hamstring injury.
Alejandro Balde has returned to training after a previous hamstring issue and may feature in the upcoming match on Sunday.
Real Madrid will have to cope without key defenders Dani Carvajal, Antonio Rudiger, David Alaba, and Eder Militao (all due to knee injuries), Ferland Mendy (thigh), and midfielder Eduardo Camavinga (Tendon).
Rudiger would have also been suspended for his involvement in the incident at the end of the Copa del Rey final.
The stats
In the current season, after losing all three Clasico encounters in 2023-24, Barcelona has defeated Real Madrid three times.
All three matches witnessed four or more goals being scored.
Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski from Barcelona have each scored three times in the three meetings.
Kylian Mbappe leads the scoring for Real Madrid in the 2024-25 Clasicos with two goals.
In the Super Cup, Barca's Wojciech Szczesny was shown a red card, while Rudiger, Lucas Vazquez, and Jude Bellingham received red cards for various reasons, both on and off the field, during the Copa del Rey.
Prediction
Barcelona's 7-6 aggregate loss to Inter Milan was a memorable Champions League match, but this offers little comfort to Flick and his team.
Nonetheless, they have a tremendous opportunity to bounce back against their arch-rivals Real Madrid, knowing that a win would almost secure the LaLiga title and domestic double.
Real Madrid has faced frustrations this season, evident from their lapses, including disciplinary issues in Seville.
It's remarkable that they are still in the race to defend their LaLiga title in what appears to be Carlo Ancelotti's final season at the club.
Ancelotti will likely have a strategy to counter Barcelona's attacking threats, especially Raphinha and Lamine Yamal, who are expected to shine.
However, despite having Mbappe, Bellingham, Vinicius Jnr, Rodrygo, and others at his disposal, Ancelotti has struggled to harmonize their performances.
With the occasional reluctance of his star players to contribute defensively, it could create opportunities for Barcelona, who have maintained an unbeaten home record in 2025.