Real Madrid will host their traditional rival Barcelona in the classic match on Sunday evening, as part of the 32nd round of La Liga, at the Santiago Bernabéu. Beyond the usual importance of the classic due to the historical rivalry between the two teams, this match will be crucial for the La Liga title. Real Madrid leads the standings with 78 points, while Barcelona is in second place, 8 points behind.
The Spanish newspaper "AS" highlighted the expected lineup for the classic, noting that Ancelotti is troubled by uncertainty in just one position, which is left-back. It reported that Ferland Mendy did not train on Saturday due to "excess physical load" following the recent match against Manchester City, which went into extra time. It confirmed that the most likely choice for Coach Ancelotti is to play Frenchman Aurélien Tchouaméni in the left-back position, especially since he did not participate in the last City match due to suspension.
In Barcelona, the newspaper predicted one change in midfield compared to the lineup used by Xavi in the last match against Paris Saint-Germain: Christensen in place of Pedri.
**Real Madrid Lineup:**
- Goalkeeper: Andriy Lunin
- Defense: (Mendy or Camavinga), Nacho, Rüdiger, and Carvajal
- Midfield: Kroos, Tchouaméni, Valverde, and Bellingham
- Attack: Rodrygo and Vinícius Júnior
**Barcelona Lineup:**
- Goalkeeper: Ter Stegen
- Defense: Cancelo, Koundé, Araújo, and Koundé
- Midfield: Christensen, Gündoğan, and Frenkie de Jong
- Attack: Raphinha, Lamine Yamal, and Lewandowski
