Real Madrid Seeks Redemption in Clasico Against Barca

Barcelona, Oct 23 (AP) Real Madrid and an in-form Kylian Mbappé are set to host Barcelona this Sunday, seeking redemption after being defeated in all four clasicos last season. Mbappé, leading the La Liga scoring charts with 10 goals in nine matches, is also exhibiting impressive form in the Champions League, tallying five goals in the first two months of the season.

Barcelona will arrive at the Santiago Bernabeu facing a series of challenges. Their attack suffers from injury woes, and coach Hansi Flick will watch the game from a stadium box following a red card for protesting last time out. Lamine Yamal, having recently returned from a persistent groin injury, will start, but Barcelona will miss Robert Lewandowski due to a hamstring problem, with Raphinha's availability uncertain.

Key Matches The spotlight will be on the season's first clasico as new coach Xabi Alonso attempts to lift Madrid out of its struggle against Barcelona. Last season, Barcelona dominated the series, outscoring Madrid 16-7 across all competitions. This included a 4-0 victory in Madrid, a 5-2 triumph in the Spanish Super Cup, a 3-2 win in the Copa del Rey final, and another 4-3 victory in La Liga.

"Last year, their finishing was exceptional, and we must curb that firepower while improving our own," said Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. Madrid recently secured a 1-0 win over Juventus, courtesy of a Jude Bellingham goal, yet endured a heavy 5-0 defeat against Atletico Madrid in another prominent La Liga fixture last month.

Barcelona is riding high from a 6-1 victory over Olympiakos, where midfielder Fermín López notched a hat trick and Marcus Rashford contributed two goals. Madrid currently holds a two-point edge over defending champions Barcelona atop the Spanish league standings, while third-placed Villarreal and fourth-placed Atletico aim to close the gap. Villarreal faces Valencia on Saturday, and Atletico meets fifth-placed Real Betis on Monday, with both teams sharing equal points.

Out of Action In addition to Lewandowski, Barcelona is missing injured midfielder Dani Olmo and goalkeeper Joan García, with Wojciech Szczesny set to guard the net. Flick expressed hope last week that Raphinha would recover in time from a leg injury. Ferran Torres was available for the Olympiakos game but wasn’t utilized after recently overcoming a leg concern. Madrid faces its own challenges with injured defenders Trent Alexander-Arnold and Antonio Rüdiger unavailable.

Players to Watch Marcus Rashford is positioned to start up front for Barcelona alongside Yamal. Since his loan from Manchester United, the English forward has added six goals to his tally. Pau Cubarsí is expected to anchor Barcelona's defense, working with either Éric García or Ronald Araújo to contain Mbappé. "Everyone is aware of Mbappé's talents, and all their players are stellar," said Cubarsí. "Yet, we must focus on our game." Meanwhile, Arda Guler has proven to be Madrid's unexpected asset amidst the departures of Toni Kroos and Luka Modric, contributing five assists and three goals across all competitions this season.

Off the Field The clasico coincides with La Liga's disappointment over the failed initiative to stage a regular-season game between Barcelona and Villarreal in Miami next month.

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