Barcelona and Real Madrid have both named their starting lineups for Sunday’s must-see El Clásico at the Camp Nou.

The hosts are hoping to make it a staggering seven wins in their last eight matches against Los Blancos. Hansi Flick’s men will also be desperate to bounce back after a humbling 4–2 loss to Paris Saint-Germain midweek.

Many of the same starters from the Champions League defeat are back in Barcelona’s XI at the weekend. Flick’s backline remains unchanged, with João Cancelo and Xavi Espart manning either flank while Jules Koundé and Eric García remain sidelined.

Lamine Yamal and Raphinha unsurprisingly lead the attack again, with Anthony Gordon back on the left wing. Fermín Lopez gets the nod at the No. 10 position, replacing the injured Dani Olmo.

Rodri is also back in the XI, partnering Pedri in midfield after only playing a conservative 30 minutes against PSG.

Barcelona Confirmed Lineup vs. Real Madrid

Starting XI (4-2-3-1): J. García; Espart, Cubarsí, Martín, Cancelo; Rodri, Pedri; Yamal, Fermín, Gordon; Raphinha.

Substitutes: Wojciech Szczęsny (GK), Dominik Livaković (GK), Alejandro Balde, Álex Campos, Brian Fariñas, Marc Bernal, Frenkie de Jong, Gavi, Orian Goren, Gabriel Jesus, Hamza Abdelkarim, Karim Adeyemi.

Jose Mourinho Rolls the Dice

The stakes of Sunday’s battle are infinitely higher for Real Madrid. The 15-time European champions already trail Barcelona by six points, and a defeat in Catalonia would spell disaster for their La Liga title hopes.

Making an already must-win game even more tense are the absences of Vinícius Júnior and Thibaut Courtois. The Brazilian is suspended for the clash, while the goalkeeper misses out due to illness.

Yan Diomande and Andriy Lunin were easy replacements for the two absentees; José Mourinho had much tougher decisions to make when it came to his midfield.

The Portuguese boss ultimately opted for a double pivot of Aurélien Tchouaméni and Bernardo Silva, a head-turning move considering Silva has started just four games this season—and now the 32-year-old is being thrown into the lineup against none other than Barcelona.

Mourinho had limited options regarding Tchouaméni’s partner, though; Federico Valverde is starting at right back, and Arda Güler is starting at right wing. The Uruguayan keeps Denzel Dumfries and Trent Alexander-Arnold on the bench.

Real Madrid Confirmed Lineup vs. Barcelona

Starting XI (4-2-3-1): Lunin; Valverde, Konaté, Huijsen, Cucurella; Tchouaméni, Silva; Güler, Bellingham, Diomande; Mbappé.

Substitutes: Sergio Mestre (GK), Álvaro Carreras, Antonio Rüdiger, Denzel Dumfries, Éder Militão, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Eduardo Camavinga, Thiago Pitarch, Brahim Díaz, Carlos Espí, Endrick.