Former Real Madrid midfielder Rafael van der Vaart has backed the Spanish giants to defeat Barcelona in Sunday's El Clásico, believing José Mourinho's side have the tactical discipline and attacking quality to punish their rivals, particularly when opportunities arise on the counter-attack.

Barcelona will host Madrid at Spotify Camp Nou on October 25, with Hansi Flick's team looking to maintain their strong position in the La Liga title race. The Catalan side have made an outstanding start to the season, winning their opening nine league matches and opening a six-point gap over third-placed Real Madrid.

Despite Barcelona's impressive domestic form, Van der Vaart believes Madrid have enough experience, determination and individual quality to secure victory. The former Netherlands international expects Mourinho's players to capitalise on defensive mistakes, especially when Barcelona lose possession while trying to build attacks from the back.

Speaking to Winwin in an interview cited by Madrid Universal, Van der Vaart made his prediction clear, expressing confidence that Real Madrid would emerge victorious in the highly anticipated contest.

He also pointed to Madrid's mentality as a major strength, arguing that the players' commitment to their manager and willingness to compete throughout the match could prove decisive. In his assessment, the Spanish giants have developed into a team that consistently finds ways to win, with their fighting spirit setting them apart from their opponents.

Madrid head into the encounter in encouraging form after recording four consecutive wins across all competitions. Their recent results include a convincing 4-1 victory over RB Leipzig in the Champions League. They have also won all three of their league-phase matches in the European competition, further strengthening their confidence ahead of the trip to Barcelona.

Barcelona, by contrast, suffered a setback in midweek after losing 4-2 to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Tuesday. The defeat raised questions about their defensive performance, although Van der Vaart does not believe it will necessarily have a negative effect on their preparations for El Clásico.

The former midfielder dismissed the suggestion that the European loss would significantly damage Barcelona's confidence, indicating that he expects Flick's team to approach Sunday's fixture with their usual determination.

Madrid will have to cope without Vinícius Júnior, who is unavailable because of a four-match domestic suspension following his dismissal against Villarreal. His absence removes an important attacking option, but Van der Vaart does not expect Mourinho to make significant changes to his tactical approach.

Instead, he anticipates the Madrid manager will largely retain the lineup that delivered the recent victory over Leipzig. Van der Vaart believes continuity could be important as Madrid prepare for one of the most demanding fixtures of their season.

With Barcelona seeking to protect their impressive league record and Madrid aiming to close the gap on their rivals, Sunday's meeting promises to be a significant test of both teams' ambitions. Van der Vaart, however, remains convinced that Madrid's winning mentality and ability to exploit counter-attacking opportunities could give them the advantage.