El Clasico returns this Sunday as Real Madrid welcome bitter rivals Barcelona to the Bernabeu on Sunday.
Both teams go into this match on great form and level on twenty-two points at the top of the La Liga, Barcelona only ahead with a superior goal difference.
Carlo Ancelotti’s side have won seven and drawn one of their eight league matches, with Xavi’s side having been victorious in their last seven league fixtures.
Real Madrid’s Dani Ceballos is still absent due to a hamstring injury and our algorithm predicts he still needs a further eighteen days to full recovery.
News out of Madrid is Thibaut Courtois has also out as he overcomes a back problem, our algorithm supports this as we predict he still needs a further eight days to recover. With below average HPF at 56.24 and elevated IRC at 13.16, Real Madrid need to be cautious and not bring him back too soon.
Antonio Rudiger is expected to be fit despite suffering a bloody head injury in the midweek Champions League match against Shakhtar.
We are expecting Barcelona’s Jules Kounde back in the starting line up following his hamstring injury. Our statistics show he’s had an extra seven days recover and should be fully fit. There is always a risk of reinjury coming back from a hamstring strain and with an elevated IRC of 16, he will need to be managed throughout the game.
Barcelona’s Memphis Depay, Hector Bellerin, Ronald Araujo and Andreas Christensen are all still missing through injury.
With Real Madrid will be looking to avenge the 4-0 defeat to their bitter rivals in the corresponding fixture at Bernabeu last season. Both teams are in great form and with good team health scores we predict another tight game.
Real Madrid’s home advantage just might prove to be the deciding factor.
