Real Madrid vs Barcelona: Preview, Prediction & Betting Tips

The Santiago Bernabeu hosts the biggest game of the La Liga season, as Real Madrid take on Barcelona this Sunday. Both sides occupy the top two spots in the league, though Barcelona need to win this weekend if they want any shot in catching up with Real Madrid.

Date: 21/04/2024

Kick off time: 20:00

Location: Santiago Bernabeu

The El Clasico has always been a historic fixture in Spanish football, and a win this weekend for Real Madrid may put them out of reach of Barcelona - who may need to focus more on keeping Girona at bay.

Real Madrid currently sit top of La Liga after 31 games. Real have 24 wins, six draws and one loss, leaving them on 78 points, eight points above Barcelona.

Los Blancos have the best attacking record in the La Liga this season. In 31 games, Real Madrid have scored 67 goals, an average of 2.16 goals a game. Real Madrid have been just as consistent in defence, conceding 20 goals and keeping 16 clean sheets.

Barcelona sit just below Real Madrid in second in La Liga. The Blaugrana have 21 wins, seven draws and three losses which leaves them on 70 points, eight points behind Real Madrid and five points ahead of Girona.

The Blaugrana have also been amongst the goals this season, scoring 62 goals in 31 games, an average of 2.00 goals a game. Barcelona have been more inconsistent defensively, conceding 34 goals and keeping 14 clean sheets.

Real Madrid and Barcelona have met 256 times in their histories, with the first meeting coming back in 1929. Not much separates the two sides, with Real Madrid picking up 104 wins and Barcelona having 100 wins, with the other 52 games ending in a draw.

In the last five games in the fixture there have been three wins for Real Madrid and two wins for Barcelona. In three of these five games, there have been both teams on the scoresheet and all of the last five games have seen three goals at least.

Real Madrid Team News

Carlo Ancelotti only has one injury to manage, that being to first choice goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.

Barcelona Team News

Xavi will have an injury free squad and is mostly waiting on the returns of Joao Cancelo, Inigo Martinez and Rober Lewandowksi from their yellow card suspensions.

In their last five games in all competitions, Real Madrid have four wins and one draw.

The visit from Celta Vigo saw Real Madrid restrict them to just one shot on target. Real Madrid, on the other hand had 13 shots on target, with goals from Vinicius Junior and Arda Guler along with own goals from Vincente Guaita and Carlos Dominguez in the 4 - 0 win for Real Madrid.

Vinicius opened the scoring early for Real Madrid against Osasuna in the fourth minute, but Ante Budimir equalised within three minutes. Dani Carvajal regained the lead for Real Madrid before halftime and goals from Vinicius and Brahim Diaz just after the hour mark gave Real the three goal cushion. Iker Munoz did score late on for Osasuna, but Real held on for the 4 - 2 win.

Rodrygo gave Real the lead in the eighth minute and doubled the lead in the 73rd minute to give Real the 2 - 0 win over Athletic Bilbao, who had just three shots on target.

The first leg of the Champions League Quarter Finals saw Real host Manchester City. Bernardo Silva opened the scoring for City in the second minute but an own goal from Ruben Dias and a goal from Rodrygo gave Real the 2 - 1 lead at halftime. Goals from Phil Foden and Josko Gvardiol gave City the 3 - 2 lead with 20 minutes to go, but a late goal from Federico Valverde forced a 3 - 3 draw.

The trip to Mallorca saw Real Madrid register nine shots on target, but Real could only convert one. Aurelien Tchouameni scored the only goal of the game just minutes into the second half for the 1 - 0 win.

Real Madrid also go to Manchester to take on Man City in the second leg of the Champions League Quarter Finals.

In their last six games in all competitions, Barcelona have five wins and one loss.

The second leg of the Champions League Round of 16 saw Barcelona host Napoli. After a 1 - 1 draw in the first leg, Fermin Lopez and Cancelo both scored before the 20 minute mark. Amir Rrahmani got Napoli on the scoresheet before halftime, but a late goal from Lewandowski gave Barcelona the 3 - 1 win on the night and a 4 - 2 win on aggregate.

Back in La Liga, Barcelona took on Atletico Madrid. Joao Felix scored to give Barcelona the lead over his parent club at halftime. Lewandowski and Lopez both scored in the second half to give Barcelona the 3 - 0 win over a ten-man Atletico, who had Nahuel Molina sent off late on.

Following the early red card to Las Palmas’ Alvaro Valles, Raphinha scored the only goal of the game in the 59th minute to give Barcelona the 1 - 0 win over Las Palmas.

The first leg of the Champions League Quarter Finals saw Barcelona in Paris to take on PSG. Raphinha gave Barcelona the lead at halftime but former Barcelona player Ousmane Dembele equalised for PSG minutes into the second half. Vitinha then put PSG ahead just minutes later but another goal from Raphinha and a goal from Andreas Christensen gave Barcelona the 3 - 2 win.

The trip to Cadiz saw Barcelona register less shots and less shots on target. However, a goal from Felix in the 37th minute was the only goal of the game in the 1 - 0 win for Barcelona.

Barcelona were thrashed 4-1 at home by PSG on Tuesday night. Xavi's men actually earned a 1-0 lead thanks to a Raphinha goal to put them 4-2 up on aggregate, before Ronald Araujo was sent off, leaving Barca susceptible at the back and in-turn, gifting goals to Ousmane Dembele, Vitinha and Kylian Mbappe (2).

This fixture has gone back and forth between the two sides, and this weekend could see both sides take home a point. Real Madrid 2-2 Barcelona

Don’t forget to check out the rest of our previews, tips and offers for this weekend’s action. Footy Accumulators is the #1 football betting site for the latest on betting in the UK - download the Betting Hub app for more!

Real Madrid vs Barcelona will be shown on Viaplay 1 in the U.K. but the game can also be followed online on BBC Sport or Sky Sports.

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