Football
El Clasico: Real Madrid vs Barcelona Preview: Odds, Tips and Predictions
SportsBoom previews the first El Clasico of the 2024/25 La Liga campaign between Real Madrid and Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday, 26 October 2024. As excitement builds for the much-anticipated clash, football betting fans are already diving into the odds and assessing both teams, hoping to find the best value. For an in-depth look at their form, team news, key players, suggested bets and so much more, be sure to check out our full preview.
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The footballing world will come to a standstill on Saturday 26 October as Real Madrid and Barcelona renew their long-standing rivalry in the first El Clasico of the new season at the Santiago Bernabeu. Playing at their fortress – where they went the entire of last season unbeaten – Madrid are the favourites heading into the clash. But it is Barcelona who lead the La Liga standings, with a three-point advantage over their rivals.
The teams shared the pitch in a pre-season friendly ahead of the 2024/25 La Liga campaign. Both were without several of their star players, and it was Barcelona who came out 2-1 winners in front of an American audience, thanks to a brace from Pau Victor. Now with points and bragging rights at stake, with the sides neck and neck in the league, we should be in for an epic contest.
Pre-Game Odds and Win Probability: Real Madrid Clear Favourites
HOME: 47/50 (1.94) – 51.55%
DRAW: 29/10 (3.90) – 25.64%
AWAY: 13/5 (3.60) – 27.78%
*Odds courtesy of Betway, subject to change
Head-to-Head Record
Last 10 Meetings
21/01/24: Real Madrid 3-2 Barcelona (La Liga)
14/01/24: Real Madrid 4-1 Barcelona (Super Cup)
28/10/23: Barcelona 1-2 Real Madrid (La Liga)
05/04/23: Barcelona 0-4 Real Madrid (Copa del Rey)
19/03/23: Barcelona 2-1 Real Madrid (La Liga)
02/03/23: Real Madrid 0-1 Barcelona (Copa del Rey)
15/01/23: Real Madrid 1-3 Barcelona (Super Cup)
16/10/22: Real Madrid 3-1 Barcelona (La Liga)
20/03/22: Real Madrid 0-4 Barcelona (La Liga)
12/01/22: Barcelona 2-3 E Real Madrid (Super Cup)
Real Madrid: Current Form – WWDWW
Real Madrid have made a fine start to the 2024/25 season, picking up 24 points from 30 available. Carlo Ancelotti’s men are second in the La Liga standings with four points above city rivals Atletico Madrid and three behind leaders Barcelona. Los Blancos have registered seven wins and three draws in the league, while they have a 100 percent win record at home.
Madrid head into Saturday’s mammoth clash with Barca having won their last five home games in La Liga. They have dropped points at the Bernabeu on just four occasions – all draws – in 29 league games, recording 25 wins. Their last home defeat came in the 2022/23 season when they were stunned 3-2 by Villarreal.
Key Players to Watch
Kylian Mbappe: All eyes will be on the French superstar as he looks to make a big impression in his first Clasico. Mbappe is Real’s top scorer this season with six goals – four of them coming at the Bernabeu – and he’ll be looking to showcase his extraordinary talent on the big stage.
Vinicius Junior: The pacey Brazilian forward has scored in each of Madrid’s last two league matches and was on the scoresheet in Real’s last two meetings with Barca. Vinicius has scored seven times in the Clasico, including a hat-trick in the Super Cup at the start of the year.
Federico Valverde: While Mbappe and Vinicius mostly make the headlines, Valverde is the unsung hero in the team. The Uruguayan often goes unnoticed, but he is highly dependable and key to the side. Valverde is the only player to start every game for Los Blancos this season.
Real Madrid Team News
Real Madrid will continue to be without their influential right-back, Dani Carvajal. The 32-year-old had a knee operation after suffering a cruciate ligament injury against Villarreal earlier this month.
David Alaba, who hasn’t featured in 10 months with a severe ACL problem, will also miss out. Meanwhile, Brahim Diaz could be fit to return to the squad. The Moroccan has been out of action since sustaining a muscle injury in his right abductor against Real Sociedad last month.
Barcelona: Current Form – WWDWW
Barcelona have made an excellent start to the season and sit top of the table with 27 points from a possible 30. They have won nine of their 10 games and bagged 33 goals, with eight scored in their last two league outings. Hansi Flick’s side look a serious threat to Madrid this season and they’ll be eyeing a statement win at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Apart from their surprise 4-2 loss at Osasuna, Barca have been flawless, playing exciting and entertaining football while scoring goals for fun. The Catalan giants have scored a remarkable 18 goals on their travels, more than double the amount of the second-highest scorers. Their last trip to Alaves resulted in a thumping 3-0 victory thanks to a Robert Lewandowski hat-trick.
Key Players to Watch
Robert Lewandowski: The veteran Poland striker is quite simply a goalscoring phenomenon. It’s no surprise that he is the top scorer in the league, but what is perhaps surprising is that he has double the number of goals as Madrid’s top scorer, Mbappe.
Lamine Yamal: The 17-year-old Spanish forward has continued from his impressive showing at the Euros with excellent performances in Barca colours. Yamal has provided the most assists (6) in the league while scoring four times.
Raphinha: The Brazilian winger has looked a lot more like his former self by consistently delivering top performances this season. He has 10 goal contributions (five goals, five assists) in the league and has been named the Man of the Match on four occasions.
Predicted Line-Ups
Real Madrid: 4-3-3
Courtois; Vazquez, Rudiger, Militao, Mendy; Valverde, Tchouameni, Bellingham; Rodrygo, Mbappe, Vinicius.
Barcelona: 4-2-3-1
Pena; Kounde, Cubarsi, Martinez, Balde; Casado, Pedri; Yamal, Olmo, Raphinha; Lewandowski.
Suggested Bets
If you love betting on the Spanish La Liga, here are some bets you can place at some of the top sportsbooks.
Both Teams to Score: Given that both teams have scored in four of the last five meetings, including each of the last three ties, this could be a safe bet with decent odds. (12/25 with Betway) (49/100 with Supabets) (11/25 with 1Win)
Over 2.5 Goals: With so much attacking talent on display, we could see an open game with a lot of goals scored. (1/2 with Betway) (51/100 with Supabets) (12/25 with 1Win)
Real Madrid Win or Draw: Real Madrid are unbeaten in their last 42 league games, so backing them on the Win/Draw Double Chance could be a smart thing to do. (8/25 with Betway) (29/100 with Supabets) (6/25 with 1Win)
Value Bets
Robert Lewandowski – Anytime Goalscorer: Leading the La Liga goalscoring charts with 12 goals this term – including a hat-trick in his last away game – Robert Lewandowski could find himself on the scoresheet once again. (7/4 with Betway) (12/25 with 1Win)
Vinicius Junior – Anytime Goalscorer: The Brazilian forward has been a regular goal scorer in this fixture but since he’s only been Madrid’s first scorer on two occasions this season, it’s probably safer to back him as an Anytime Goalscorer. (8/5 with Betway) (6/5 with 1Win)
Kylian Mbappe – First Goalscorer: Finding the first goalscorer in the match isn’t always easy but very rewarding when betting. Having scored first in Madrid’s last league game and eager to make a mark in his first El Clasico, Kylian Mbappe looks a great pick to open the scoring. (21/5 with Betway) (15/4 with 1Win)
Prediction: Real Madrid to Win
While we are expecting there to be goals in this game, we’re more confident about Real Madrid winning the match. Los Blancos are strong in every department whereas Barca’s weakness is undoubtedly their defence. With the Catalans sitting in first place, Madrid will have extra motivation heading into the clash, and we’re confidently backing the champions to show their class.
Chad Nagel is a passionate sports fanatic who has worked in the sports and betting industry for over a decade. He spent most of his career as an editor-in-chief for Soccer Betting News, South Africa’s leading soccer betting newspaper, owned by Hollywoodbets. His articles have also featured in some of the most respected sports media platforms in the world, such as SPORTbible, Sports Illustrated, Combat Sports UK, and many others.
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