First Clásico of the season: Barcelona are the favorites, but Real Madrid have their trumps

The match of the week: the picture ahead of the Clásico

On October 25, 2026, the first Clásico of the season will take place: Barcelona will host Real Madrid at Camp Nou. Championship columnist Dmitry Bazhanov has broken down five key factors of the upcoming match, Kun.uz reports.

State of the teams

Despite the defeat to PSG, Barcelona remain a dangerous opponent: in La Liga, according to the author, there is no other team playing such spectacular football, and in the Champions League the Catalans are playing under control — in the first two rounds they scored a total of nine goals against Feyenoord and Galatasaray.

Real Madrid's problems

Under José Mourinho, Real Madrid's game has not yet come together. Although the team is unbeaten in the Champions League, in the match against Roma they found themselves in a difficult situation and were saved only by a comeback in the final minutes. In La Liga, the Madrid side have already lost to Betis and Atlético. In Seville they could have avoided defeat: Carlos Espina's super goal was disallowed, and Kylian Mbappé missed a penalty. In the derby, the team lacked strength, and Antonio Rüdiger's late goal changed virtually nothing.

The standings picture

The stakes are high: if Barcelona win, their lead over Real Madrid will reach nine points, which the author calls a very big gap. A Real Madrid win, on the contrary, would restore intrigue to the title race. A draw is also possible, which would suit Atlético, who sit between these two teams.

The favorite and the Mourinho factor

At the start of the season, Barcelona look like the stronger team, and besides, the first Clásico is being played at Camp Nou. Hansi Flick's side come into the game as favorites, and many are predicting a heavy defeat for the Madrid side. However, Bazhanov notes: assuming that Real Madrid will automatically lose is wrong — anything can happen in a match, but he calls the expectation of a big Barcelona win, at the very least, short-sighted.

Experience as an argument

The first factor in Real Madrid's favor is Mourinho himself. This is his first Clásico since returning to the Madrid club, and the author has no doubt about his hunger for such matches. Critics say the Portuguese's tactical methods are outdated and that he is behind the trends, and this is partly fair. However, Bazhanov emphasizes, Mourinho still knows how to prepare a team for individual big matches — he has always done this well and, evidently, has not forgotten how it is done.