Real's Bellingham is available for his first Clásico test, and there will be many more to come.
El Clásico nemeses Barcelona and Real Madrid can deal each other the first blow in the La Liga title race when they face off at Catalunya’s Montjuïc stadium this weekend.
A win for either side is perhaps more significant psychologically than competitively—a chance to lay down a marker while the league season is still young.
Regarding numbers, a home victory would see Barcelona rise two points above Real—top on 25 points—in the standings. It would also close the gap in their tightly contested historical head-to-head record; Los Blancos have defeated the Blaugrana 102 times in official matches throughout history whereas Barça has 100 wins.
As usual, pricey galáctico-esque figures and fearless academy graduates adorn the upcoming contest between Spain’s two most valuable soccer teams, despite Barcelona’s inferior squad spending allocation compared to both Madrid sides—Real and Atlético Madrid—this year.
Here’s what this campaign’s first Clásico holds in store, from the boardroom to the potential match-winners on the grass.
Presidents And Politics
A showpiece game is usually an ample opportunity for Real president Florentino Pérez to appear publically. On this occasion, reports suggest he won’t be watching the action from his perch in the stands. In fact, it will be his third consecutive no-show (Spanish) at the fixture, as noted by El Mundo.
Pérez (left) and Laporta (right) have previously come together for certain functions.
His latest expected absence comes after a spokesperson from the Barcelona board, Miquel Camps, commented on Real forward Vinícius Júnior’s display during Real’s Champions League triumph over Braga in northern Portugal on Tuesday.
“It's not racism, he deserves a slap for being a clown and a joker, what do those unnecessary and pointless stepovers in the middle of the pitch mean?” the director wrote on X, as translated by ESPN. Vinícius has received and called out racist abuse since arriving in Spain from Brazil.
Barcelona has issued some form of apology, with the sporting vice-president Rafael Yuste labeling the incident “unfortunate” and saying “it won’t happen again.” Whether in solidarity with Vinícius or as a power play, Peréz has still decided to stay put, dampening the relationship between the clubs’ boards, which is functional at best, especially given the Negreira scandal involving Barcelona and its charged president Joan Laporta.
Bellingham’s Real Challenge
On the field, 20-year-old Bellingham has been a dream at Real, his long limbs bounding around the Santiago Bernabéu stadium as if the field were his backyard. He’s backed up that swagger by scoring a goal in almost every game on average this season and is naturally tipped as the protagonist again.
He’s yet to experience this, however. Real players’ success depends on trophies and records. But the best moments are forged in Clásicos, holding a different tint to any other game in the Spanish soccer calendar.
It’s hard to see Bellingham folding under the pressure. If anything, his confidence is impenetrable, envisioning victory and recalling legend Cristiano Ronaldo’s calma celebrations from installments with Barcelona in years gone by. Now, he will aim to unleash his own.
Still, omitting the emotion from the equation, this will be his sternest assignment yet, with Barcelona a formidable opponent away from home.
A Time For New Heroes
The era defined by Lionel Messi and Ronaldo’s face-offs is now long gone. And, especially in this Clásico matchup, there is an opportunity for newish players to go from stars to heroes.
Barcelona coach Xavi trusts his academy graduates, none more so than Fermín López.
It would be a giant leap for Barcelona’s recent debutant Marc Guiu to upgrade his game-clinching cameo against Athletic Club to a winner against Real. Nevertheless, fellow youngsters Lamine Yamal and Fermín López will fancy a realistic shot at fame in their first senior grudge match, having bedded into coach Xavi’s lineup.
İlkay Gündoğan, an old-timer in the midfield, could make the headlines in his first Clásico, too, with Frankie de Jong, Pedri and the versatile Sergi Roberto unavailable. It’s touch and go as to whether the prolific but recently sidelined forward Robert Lewandowski comes in from a squad ravaged by injuries.
As for the opposition, the game-changers will likely have prior experience in this fixture. Secondary options like lateral Fran Garcia and 33-year-old striker Joselu wait in the wings, and the latter is an effective option off the bench.
Referee Gil Manzano In The Spotlight
It’s easy to forget the most influential personality on these occasions is often holding all the cards.
Jesús Gil Manzano will officiate this Clásico. And while supporters can pick holes in any referee, his generally unperturbed temperament makes him a solid choice to manage such a frenzied occasion—and less inclined to hand out multiple punishments compared to Mateu Lahoz, for example.
Superstitious home fans will hope he’s not a bad omen after the official sent off Lewandowski in a rare defeat for Barcelona at Rayo Vallecano last season. Contrastingly, Real has fonder recent memories; Gil Manzano oversaw its routine 2-0 victory over Athletic Club in August.
Gil Manzano is an experienced Spanish referee.
How the Extremaduran reacts to the finer moments, such as late challenges and players drawing fouls, may—in any tightly-contested affair—swing the momentum in either team’s favor. The scrutiny will be razor-sharp, as always.
Another Possible Winner
There is another distinct possibility this weekend: Barcelona and Real Madrid reach a stalemate. A tie would keep Girona firmly in the title conversation, although maintaining that level for another seven months represents another task altogether.
As the goals flow north of Barcelona, Míchel’s men also need local Real and local rival Barcelona to hit a few brink walls to sustain its improbable quest for glory. A point apiece would help its cause considerably.
