Barcelona-Actual Madrid: Why that is greatest Clásico in years

El Clásico is all the time an enormous deal, one of many most-viewed matches world wide in any season. However with Barcelona and Actual Madrid assembly so late within the season with the LaLiga title nonetheless on the road, this is among the greatest in years.

When these two giants meet at Barcelona’s Olympic Stadium on Sunday (stream LIVE at 10:15 a.m. ET on ESPN+), they accomplish that as the one two groups left who can change into champions of Spain for 2024-25. If profitable the title itself isn’t ample motivation for stars resembling Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappé, then the choice — dropping out to their very own membership’s bitter rivals — is unthinkable.

Barcelona have had the higher hand each time they performed Madrid this season. However failure to transform their four-point lead into lifting the trophy could be a merciless finish to educate Hansi Flick’s first season in cost, particularly after their gorgeous defeat in an all-time basic UEFA Champions League semifinal in opposition to Inter Milan earlier this week.

For Madrid, a season with none silverware is nothing in need of a catastrophe. However that’s the risk legendary coach Carlo Ancelotti is dealing with in what seems to be his last yr on the membership.

ESPN’s Barcelona and Madrid correspondents, Sam Marsden and Alex Kirkland, clarify why there’s a lot driving on this Sunday’s Clásico.

Why that is the largest Clásico in years

We have had 4 Clásicos this season, every extra important than the final. Now, it looks like the entire marketing campaign has been constructing to this one recreation.

For a begin, Clásicos not often occur this late, and far much less with a lot at stake. LaLiga deliberately schedules these video games for March or April, when there’s prone to be extra jeopardy and fewer likelihood of the league’s most high-profile fixture having no tangible stakes. In actual fact, previously 30 years, just one Clásico has come later: Barcelona’s 1-0 win over Madrid — who gained the league anyway, with Barça ending three locations and 9 factors behind — on Might 27, 1995. However right here we’re, on Matchday 35, with the league title nonetheless up for grabs: Barça 4 factors forward, favorites to win the league and full a home double, with Madrid grimly hanging on, hoping to win this conflict and for Barça to crumble within the three video games that observe.

There are a few important precedents, and so they gave us among the greatest moments in Clásico historical past.

Let’s return to April 2012 and Matchday 35 at Camp Nou. This was, in some ways, peak Clásico. Pep Guardiola vs. José Mourinho, Lionel Messi vs. Cristiano Ronaldo, and one iconic picture: Ronaldo’s “calma, calma” gesture to the Camp Nou crowd after scoring the winner. Madrid gained 2-1, and every week later, they gained the league with a file 100 factors and 121 targets scored.

Three years earlier, one other epic Clásico: on Might 2, 2009, Matchday 34, Barça demolished Madrid 6-2 on the Santiago Bernabéu. Messi and Thierry Henry each scored twice in arguably the signature efficiency of the Guardiola period. It wasn’t fairly decisive — Barça had been declared champions two weeks later — however the jaw-dropping end result left little doubt about which approach the race was headed.

Will we get something that historic Sunday? Let’s hope so. — Kirkland

How did we get right here?

When the fixtures got here out, there was a sense this Clásico would possibly arrive slightly too late to be important. That feeling has been proved fully unsuitable. The timing could not be higher as we attain the finale of a title race that has been marked by twists and turns.

There have been moments when each groups have threatened to tug away on the prime. Atlético Madrid have additionally performed their half, nevertheless it’s Barça, apart from a dip in type on the again finish of 2024, who’ve led the way in which for almost all of the marketing campaign.

Once they thumped Madrid 4-0 within the Spanish capital final October, affirming their begin to the season was no flash within the pan, they opened up a six-point lead over their Clásico rivals on the prime. Atlético had been 10 factors again. Then Barça collapsed as a curse appeared to grip whichever crew ascended to first place. One win in seven, culminating with defeat to Atlético, allowed Diego Simeone’s aspect to rise to the summit. Then Atlético gained solely two of their subsequent six, handing the initiative to Madrid.

After hammering Actual Valladolid in January, Los Blancos led Atlético by 4 factors and Barça by seven. With a lot room for error, certainly they’d see it house from there? Fallacious. It was their flip to fumble the lead.

Actual gained as soon as in 5 league video games between Feb. 1 and March 1. In the meantime, Barça recovered their early-season type. Briefly, earlier than Barça’s win at Atlético in March, it appeared like a three-horse race would go the space, however since April, it has come all the way down to the Clásico duo.

Barça have gained 13 and drawn two of their 15 league video games in 2025, turning a seven-point deficit right into a four-point lead. They’ve additionally asserted their authority over Madrid with a 5-2 Spanish Supercopa last win and final month’s 3-2 victory within the Copa del Rey last. Keep away from defeat Sunday and they need to win a second title in three years; lose and this season of twists might need another up its sleeve. — Marsden

What’s at stake for Barcelona?

First, as an example that Barça’s season has exceeded expectations. Successful the Spanish Supercopa and the Copa del Rey, along with reaching a primary Champions League semifinal since 2019, would have been greater than acceptable achievements in the beginning of the marketing campaign for a younger crew that gained nothing final season.

Now that that is out of the way in which, let’s additionally say that expectations have modified. All of us knew Lamine Yamal was particular, however the velocity at which he has blossomed into one of many world’s greatest gamers earlier than turning 18 has been outstanding. Nobody noticed Raphinha’s numbers coming; Robert Lewandowski, 37 in August, having his greatest scoring season since becoming a member of the membership; or Pedri staying match and at last growing into the controlling midfielder now we have been ready for.

They’ve all flourished in Hansi Flick’s system, which, as everybody is aware of by now, is excessive depth, excessive line and extremely enjoyable. It is also extremely flawed, as Inter demonstrated of their thrilling Champions League triumph this week.

Barça have a golden likelihood to bounce again from that European defeat by beating Madrid for the fourth time this season and placing one hand on the title. Win the league and this will probably be seen as a outstanding first season beneath Flick. Lose it and the ache of surrendering the highest spot to Madrid, coupled with Inter’s late present, will most likely override all of the progress the Blaugrana undoubtedly have made this yr, even when it should not. — Marsden

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Flick: Barcelona must ‘rise up’ after UCL semifinal exit

Hansi Flick reacts to Barcelona’s exit from the Champions League following their semifinal extra-time defeat to Inter Milan.

What’s at stake for Actual Madrid?

All the things. It is all-or-nothing for Madrid. Both they win this Clásico, go on to win LaLiga and salvage their season — or they lose and write this complete marketing campaign off as a monumental failure.

For a lot of Madridistas and the Madrid media, the decision is already in after their elimination within the Champions League quarterfinals. At this membership, that is the competitors that issues, and after profitable it six occasions in 11 seasons, a quarterfinal exit with this gifted squad simply does not lower it. However due to Inter, Madrid’s best concern — Barça profitable it as an alternative — has been averted. Win LaLiga, and Madrid may even make the case that their season has ended up higher than Barça’s, who’d have only a Copa del Rey trophy and a Supercopa to indicate for all their flamboyant soccer beneath Flick.

No matter occurs, coach Carlo Ancelotti is on the way in which out and appears set to take the Brazil job. But when Madrid win this Clásico, after which LaLiga, it’d decide simply how a lot urge for food there’s for a significant overhaul of the squad prepared for Ancelotti’s successor, anticipated to be Xabi Alonso. Trent Alexander-Arnold is already on the verge of being the primary confirmed arrival, however whether or not Madrid observe that up by spending large on a middle again and a central midfielder — and transfer on the likes of Rodrygo — could be influenced by how the following two weeks go. — Kirkland

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How would Trent slot in at Actual Madrid with Alonso in cost?

Gab Marcotti and Julien Laurens talk about how Trent Alexander-Arnold would possibly slot in at Actual Madrid if Xabi Alonso is known as as Carlo Ancelotti’s alternative.

How will Clásico end result influence title race?

If Barça wins

A win would take Barcelona to 82 factors and go away Madrid stranded on 75 with three matches left. If not fairly recreation over, it would not be not far off. Barça would want to safe three extra factors to win the league outright, which they’d have the prospect to do away at native rivals Espanyol on Thursday — except Madrid fail to beat Mallorca a day earlier.

If Madrid lose to Mallorca, Barça may have gained the title already by the point they play Espanyol; if Madrid draw with Mallorca, probably the most they may hope for will probably be to stage Barça’s 82-point tally. There, head-to-head comes into play, somewhat than objective distinction. And provided that Barça gained the primary league Clásico 4-0, head-to-head favors them, barring a very outstanding end result Sunday.

If it is a draw

A draw would go away Barcelona at 80 factors and Madrid at 76, sustaining that four-point margin with three video games left. Madrid would want Barça to drop 5 factors in these video games — due to Barça’s probably head-to-head benefit, if the 2 groups finish tied on factors — which see them play Espanyol (away) and two Champions League-chasing sides in Villarreal (house) and Athletic Membership (away). It would be unlikely, however not not possible.

As for Madrid, they’ve three theoretically winnable fixtures in opposition to Mallorca (house), struggling Sevilla (away) and midtable Actual Sociedad (house). So a draw would go away Barça as clear favorites, however Madrid very a lot nonetheless within the race.

If Madrid win

If Madrid win, the title race will probably be blown vast open. Barça would keep at 79 factors and Madrid would climb to 78 with three video games left. And once more, on paper, Madrid’s fixtures are considerably extra favorable than Barça’s.

Regardless of all their issues, you’d anticipate Madrid to get outcomes in opposition to Mallorca, Sevilla and La Actual. However Barça journey to an Espanyol crew that has misplaced solely certainly one of its previous 12 house video games — albeit the final one, 2-1 to Actual Betis — after which face two genuinely good sides in Villarreal and Athletic. And if Madrid had been, in some way, to beat Barça by 4 or extra targets (stick with me right here) then Barça would lose their head-to-head benefit, too. — Kirkland

Race for the Pichichi

Lewandowski has risen to the problem of Kylian Mbappé’s arrival in Spain supremely. After profitable LaLiga and the Champions League final season, the signing of Mbappé was speculated to take Madrid to a different stage, even additional out of the attain of Lewandowski and his Barça teammates.

The other has proved true, although, as Lewandowski has spearheaded a Barça assault that has scored 91 targets in 34 video games — 22 greater than Madrid. The Poland striker has netted 25 of them and, for giant components of the season, has appeared like a shoo-in to win LaLiga’s Golden Boot — generally known as the Pichichi — for a second time.

Nonetheless, a subplot to the title race has developed in latest weeks as Mbappé roared again. He has 24 targets in his debut season in LaLiga after final weekend’s brace, whereas Lewandowski was sidelined with a hamstring harm. A spot that was as large as eight targets at one level is now just one.

Mbappé has benefitted from extra penalties (six to Lewandowski’s three) and performed extra minutes than his Barça counterpart (2,557 to 2,454), however he has additionally scored some crackers. 4 of the Frenchman’s efforts have come from exterior the field, whereas seven of Lewandowski’s have been predatory finishes contained in the 6-yard space. His solely objective from exterior the field, coincidentally, got here in opposition to Madrid within the reverse fixture.

Now, the 2 forwards who’re separated in age by 10 years face a four-game shootout to win the Pichichi. In fact, profitable LaLiga is the primary purpose, however any striker who says they don’t seem to be additionally pushed by particular person accolades might be mendacity. It is that ambition that has pushed Lewandowski and Mbappé up to now. — Marsden