The last El Clasico of the season takes place on Sunday, with Barcelona and Real Madrid meeting at the Spotify Camp Nou for the first time since its November reopening. The match carries different stakes for each side: Barcelona can clinch a second consecutive La Liga title with a draw, while Real Madrid need a win to prevent their archrivals from celebrating the trophy.
Barcelona manager Hansi Flick is expected to make only one change from the victory over Osasuna. Jules Kounde is likely to replace Gerard Martin, shifting Eric Garcia into central defense and moving the Frenchman to his usual right-back spot. Alternatively, Eric could be the one dropped for Kounde. Both scenarios keep Raphinha on the bench, alongside Marcus Rashford despite his recent impact as a substitute.
Real Madrid are forced into at least two changes due to injuries to Ferland Mendy and Fede Valverde. Fran Garcia and Kylian Mbappe are set to replace them, with Mbappe returning to the starting lineup for the first time in several weeks. Thibaut Courtois is fully recovered from a hamstring injury and will start in goal, pushing Andriy Lunin to the bench. Aurelien Tchouameni may retain his place over Eduardo Camavinga despite a reported dispute with Valverde earlier in the week.
Barcelona enter as strong favorites, having been dominant at home since returning to the Camp Nou. However, Real Madrid cannot be written off, even if their preparation has been far from ideal.