Real Madrid vs. Barcelona predictions: Who will win "fascinating" El Clasico at Bernabeu?

The first El Clasico of the 2025-26 campaign will take place at Bernabeu on Sunday afternoon, with Real Madrid preparing to welcome Barcelona for a blockbuster affair.

Los Blancos are currently top of the La Liga table, two points ahead of the second-placed Blaugrana.

Both teams will enter the match off the back of Champions League wins, with Barcelona recording a 6-1 victory over Olympiacos, while Real Madrid beat Juventus 1-0 in the Spanish capital.

Here, the Sports Mole team gives their predictions for Sunday's clash between Real Madrid and Barcelona, as the two biggest clubs in Spanish football prepare to lock horns.

Barney Corkhill, Editor - Real Madrid

Every Clasico arrives dripping in narrative, and this one is no different with only two points separating the two sides at the top of the table, the off-the-pitch row about playing a match abroad having taken a decisive turn recently, and last season's Barcelona dominance - winning all four meetings and scoring 16 goals in the process - still very much at the forefront of Madrista minds.

Indeed, this weekend's match will take place exactly one year to the day that Barca battered their Bernabeu hosts 4-0, and revenge will no doubt be on the mind of the home side.

I don't expect such a one-sided clash this time around, but goals could well be on the agenda again given that these two sides have scored 44 in the league between them already this season, Barcelona scored six in the Champions League in midweek, and Clasicos averaged 5.75 goals per game last term.

When all is said and done, though, I expect Real Madrid to be celebrating come the final whistle. Big questions remain over Barcelona's solidity, and while Madrid have not exactly been infallible themselves under Xabi Alonso, they have looked a fraction more reliable than their greatest rivals.

With Kylian Mbappe in such good form and the home advantage as well, I make Madrid favourites for this one.

Matt Law, Football Editor - Draw

Both Real Madrid and Barcelona would accept a point if it were offered ahead of kickoff - I'm sure of that - and I am expecting the points to be shared on Sunday; I'll even give a score prediction - 2-2.

There has incredibly not been a draw in El Clasico since a 0-0 in December 2019, so the statistics are not exactly pointing towards a stalemate, but both managers will be wary of what a defeat could do in terms of confidence.

Real Madrid would open up a five-point lead over Barcelona if they win on Sunday, which would be fairly substantial at this stage of the season, especially with the reigning champions having problems at the back.

Two of the best attacking talents in the world will go head-to-head on Sunday, with Mbappe facing Lamine Yamal, but there are a number of other side-stories that will make this a fascinating contest.

If I simply had to pick a winner, then I think I would just go for Real Madrid considering that the match is at Bernabeu, also taking into account Barcelona's injury issues, but I am finding it very difficult to separate the two teams ahead of the contest.

Ben Knapton, Senior Reporter - Draw

Neither Barcelona nor Real Madrid enter this weekend's Clasico in tip-top shape, as Xabi Alonso works around a depleted defence while Hansi Flick searches for solutions to Robert Lewandowski's absence up front.

Interestingly, Real's rearguard absentees have not been majorly felt recently - the hosts have only conceded one goal across their last four games - while the trigger-happy Barcelona scored for fun against Olympiacos.

Home advantage may just swing this contest in Real Madrid's favour, but given Barca's ferocious firepower should come good at the Bernabeu, so I am taking the easy way out and backing an entertaining draw.