This Sunday’s classic could officially define the LaLiga champion. Barcelona receives Real Madrid at the Camp Nou with the possibility of winning its second consecutive league title if it wins or even draws against its greatest rival, which arrives in crisis and also without Kylian Mbappé.
The French striker, the championship’s top scorer with 24 goals, was left out of the Madrid squad after failing to recover from a left hamstring injury that he has been carrying since the end of April. Mbappé’s absence is another hard blow for a team that is going through turbulent weeks both on and off the field.
Mbappé had recently responded to criticism that arose in Spain about his commitment to the club. Some Real Madrid fans questioned whether the attacker was prioritizing arriving in good condition for the 2026 World Cup, although the Frenchman said he was totally focused on recovering and helping the team.
Meanwhile, Barcelona faces the last classic of the season with an 11-point advantage over the white team and with just four games remaining. The Barça team depends on itself to celebrate the championship in front of its fans.
Madrid’s situation completely contrasts with Barça’s stability. The merengue club is coming off a chaotic week marked by incidents in training. Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni were fined 500,000 euros after an altercation that left the Uruguayan with a head injury after accidentally hitting a table.
In addition, Álvaro Carreras confirmed another “minor” incident with a teammate, while Spanish media reported that the defender had a confrontation with Antonio Rüdiger during practice.
Pressure is also mounting on Álvaro Arbeloa, who took over after the departure of Xabi Alonso in January. The coach could close the season without important titles and rumors are already circulating about a possible return of José Mourinho, promoted by president Florentino Pérez to try to rebuild the sporting project.
