At Camp Nou, José Mourinho returns to El Clásico after a 13-year absence with a Real Madrid side still taking shape but arriving in Barcelona on the back of four straight victories. The Portuguese coach accepts that the league leaders begin as favourites, yet sees his own team gathering momentum before Sunday’s meeting.
Key takeaways
- Barcelona lead LaLiga on 27 points, six clear of third-placed Real Madrid, while Atlético de Madrid sit between them on 22.
- Real Madrid have won four matches over the past month, including two Champions League fixtures.
- Vinícius Júnior is suspended and will not be available to Mourinho.
- Barcelona have scored 39 goals in nine games, with Lamine Yamal contributing 10 goals and 10 assists.
- Kick-off at Camp Nou is scheduled for 17:00 Brasília time on Sunday.
A Madrid project still in its opening phase
Real’s recent run has included LaLiga wins away to Villarreal, 1-0, and at home to Sevilla, 4-1. In Europe, they defeated Roma 4-3 before beating RB Leipzig 4-1. Mourinho has also drawn light-hearted attention for growing a beard during the same period, though he rejected any suggestion that the change of appearance has brought luck.
The more important issue for the coach is time. He argued that it is premature to measure his team directly against a Barcelona group that has been together longer.
“If we describe our work as being at an advanced point, we have had three months,” Mourinho said. “Take away pre-season and the international break and it is only around six weeks. We are far from a finished product. This is an early stage, where the coach is getting to know the players, assessing them and developing ideas, while they are getting to know me. It is not fair to compare that with a team that has been in place for longer.”
The visit to Barcelona is Mourinho’s first Clásico since his previous spell in Madrid, and it comes with his side needing to negotiate the absence of Vinícius. Real have 21 points from their league campaign, leaving them with ground to make up on their hosts.
Respect for Barcelona, without rewriting the plan
Barcelona arrive with the numbers of an attack in full flow. Their 39 goals across nine matches have been driven in particular by Lamine Yamal, whose 10 goals have come alongside 10 assists.
Mourinho praised the young forward and Barcelona’s wider collection of talent, but insisted Real Madrid would not abandon their own identity in an attempt to contain one individual.
“They are all very good, just as they are at Real Madrid,” he said. “I have not found one player who is not of a very high level. Lamine Yamal is a great player. Respect is one thing; changing your plans or losing your essence is another. We will not do that, not for him and not for any other opponent of great quality.”
For Barcelona, the occasion offers a chance to protect a six-point advantage at the summit. For Real, it is an early test of a new manager’s evolving work, in the stadium where the season’s first great Spanish crossroads awaits.
