A week ago, Real Madrid were seemingly on the verge of conceding a third straight La Liga title, with José Mourinho’s stuttering team no match for the indomitable Barcelona. Then, the Clásico happened.

Appropriately, with the Day of the Dead this weekend, Madrid have been given new life and the gap at the top of La Liga has been cut to just three points heading into the action.

For all the renewed positivity at the club, José Mourinho will be very wary of the banana skin-shaped challenge posed by Racing Santander this weekend and Madrid can ill afford a careless slip up so close to their biggest result of the season so far.

Racing are unbeaten in five at the Estadio El Sardinero since their return to La Liga and would surely relish knocking Madrid back down to earth this Sunday.

These are very much the sort of games Los Blancos must win if they are to be more than just a nuisance to Barcelona this season.

Racing Santander vs. Real Madrid Score Prediction

Madrid Overpower Hosts

Madrid are on a run of five straight wins in all competitions since the defeat to Atlético before the last international break, scoring 15 times.

For all the early teething problems and unconvincing performances, there is a sense that Mourinho is starting to figure out how to get the best out of this incredibly talented roster.

Racing have been strong at home in 2026–27, but José Alberto’s men have only faced one of La Liga’s top eight from last season so far. That was Villarreal on the opening day in a 2–2 draw and Racing have since had one the game’s goalscorers in Sergio Martínez poached by Real Madrid.

At Camp Nou, Racing fell 7–2. It is unlikely to be as much of a bloodbath at home, but the difference in resources should quickly become as apparent as it did against Barça.

• Head-to-head record: Madrid, as you might expect, boast the superior record with 22 wins to just seven losses in the fixture, with an additional seven draws. The last time the two teams met Los Blancos ran out 4–0 winners during Mourinho’s first spell in the dugout way back in 2012.
• Madrid’s away struggles: Los Blancos’ record on the road remains a nagging issue, despite the Clásico success. Madrid’s two league defeats this season came away from home, while they have yet to win an away match this season by more than a single goal—with the victories over Espanyol and Elche both requiring stoppage-time heroics from Carlos Espí.
• Mbappé on fire: Madrid’s No. 10 may have missed out on the Ballon d’Or, but he is gunning for a third straight Pichichi Trophy. The forward hit 100 Real Madrid goals with his Clásico double and has 11 in 10 so far in 2026–27.

Prediction: Racing Santander 0–3 Real Madrid

Racing Santander Predicted Lineup vs. Real Madrid

First-choice left back Jorge Salinas is out of this one with a suspension he picked up after collecting five yellow cards this season. Summer signing Aarón Martin may be forced into service as an emergency defender as a result.

21-year-old Moroccan striker Yassir Zabiri is Racing’s danger man and has been one of the breakout stars in La Liga this season, with eight goals in 10 games. Only Raphinha and Mbappé have more thus far.

Veteran midfielder Sergio Canales spent a season with Real Madrid way back in 2010–11. He faces a reunion with his old boss Mourinho this Sunday.

Racing Santander predicted lineup vs. Real Madrid (4-2-3-1): Agirrezabala; Mantilla, Ramón, Belocian, Aarón; Prati, Martín; Martín, Canales, Vicente; Zabiri.

Madrid have few pressing availability issues ahead of the weekend’s trip to Cantabria. Trio Raúl Asencio, Ferland Mendy and Rodrygo all remain out of contention as they continue their injury recoveries. Vinícius Jr is now on game three of his four-match suspension.

Thibaut Courtois, who missed the Clásico with the flu, should come back in, while Mourinho must decide how much to rotate his team after last weekend’s taxing victory. He has already confirmed Federico Valverde will not start at right back.

Álvaro Carreras could get a run out, while Bernardo Silva and Eduardo Camavinga are both looking to make their case to be midfielder starters.

Fringe stars like Endrick, Espí and Brahim Díaz will all be hopeful of some game time here too, though maybe not from kick off. It may not be beyond the sentimentality of Mourinho to include young Martínez, signed from Racing, in the squad list.

Real Madrid predicted lineup vs. Racing Santander (4-2-3-1): Courtois; Valverde, Konaté, Huijsen, Carrreras; Tchouaméni, Silva; Güler, Bellingham, Diomande; Mbappé.

What Time Does Racing Santander vs. Real Madrid Kick Off?

• Location: Santander, Spain
• Stadium: Estadio El Sardinero
• Date: Sunday, Nov. 1
• Kickoff Time: 10.15 a.m. ET / 7.15 a.m. PT / 3.15 p.m. GMT

How to Watch Racing Santander vs. Real Madrid on TV, Live Stream