Form and context

Barcelona lead La Liga by six points from Real Madrid, who are third, and have won all nine league games so far. A tenth straight win would make them the first team in Spanish history to start a La Liga season with ten victories. Both sides have won four of their last five in all competitions, with Barcelona's only defeat a 4-2 loss at Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid's a 2-1 reverse at Atletico Madrid.

Team news

• Barcelona: Dani Olmo suffered a groin injury against PSG and is expected to be out for around a month. Eric Garcia and Andreas Christensen are also unavailable, while Jules Kounde is a doubt with an ankle problem. Raphinha has recovered in recent weeks, and four academy players trained with the first team.
• Real Madrid: Vinicius Junior is suspended for the league match. Defender Raul Asencio is injured and will also miss out.

What the numbers say

• Barcelona have won their last 23 La Liga home matches.
• Real Madrid have lost two of their last three La Liga away games.
• Real Madrid have conceded in each of their last 12 meetings with Barcelona.
• Barcelona have won four of the last five head to heads, including a 2-0 win in May 2026.

Our view

Barcelona's perfect league record and long unbeaten run at home make them the stronger side on paper, but the loss of Olmo and the uncertainty over Kounde weaken them. Real Madrid arrive with three straight wins and four goals in each of their last three matches, so this should be closer than the table suggests.

Most likely outcome: home win - Barcelona's 23-match La Liga home winning run and recent head to head dominance outweigh Real Madrid's absent Vinicius.