Real Madrid welcomes Barcelona on Sunday, October 16 at Santiago Bernabeu in what’s going to be the 284th Spanish El Clasico. The duels between these two are always interesting, but Sunday’s game could turn out even more exciting than usual. The thing is that Real Madrid and Barcelona are the two top teams in La Liga, each with 22 points (7-1-0) in the 2022-23 season.
The last time they met in the league, Barca won 4-0 in Madrid. This time, however, the visitors from Catalonia might not have a great evening. At least that’s based on the betting odds released by leading online bookmakers, who see Real Madrid as the favorite in the first El Clasico of the 2022-23 season.
Real Madrid vs Barcelona Odds
Moneyline
| Real Madrid | +129 |
| Draw | +260 |
| Barcelona | +200 |
Goals Over/Under
| Over 2.5 | -175 |
| Under 2.5 | +137 |
*Odds taken from bet365 on Wednesday, October 12.
When, Where, and How to Watch?
- Place: Estadio Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid, Spain
- Date: Sunday, October 16
- Time: 10:15 AM ET
- How to Watch: ESPN+
Real Madrid to Play with Its Best XI on Sunday
It’s been a while since all of Real Madrid’s key men were 100% fit. Back in September, Los Blancos’ arguably best player Karim Benzema suffered an injury that kept him sidelined for several weeks. He returned in early October but still hasn’t scored a single goal this month.
The winner of last season’s Pichichi Trophy (top-scorer award in Spain) is expected to start scoring again pretty soon, perhaps even in the game against Barcelona. Benzema’s record against this opponent isn’t amazing – 11 goals in 41 games – but his presence on the pitch can do wonders for his teammates.
Another player whose presence is going to fill Los Blancos with confidence is Thibaut Courtois. The goalie was absent in the previous four games due to injury but as confirmed by coach Carlo Ancelotti, the towering Belgian will play in El Clasico.
Barcelona Might Not Be as Great as Its La Liga Record Suggests
Barca is 7-1-0 this season in La Liga, the same as Real Madrid. The reason why Xavi’s boys are sitting in the #1 position is that they have a much better score differential than Los Blancos (or in fact, any other La Liga team). So far, they’ve scored 20 goals, while conceding just one.
It sure sounds amazing, but there’s a caveat. So far, Barca’s played only against mediocre/underperforming teams. In fact, the highest-ranked opponent this team’s faced so far is Real Sociedad, whose current position in La Liga is #6. The other seven teams are ranked from #10 to #20.
Real Madrid vs Barcelona Prediction
We think that in 2022, Real Madrid is a better team than Barcelona. Sure, Barca does have some amazing players on the roster (e.g., Robert Lewandowski), but so does Real Madrid. And Los Blancos are playing in front of their crowd on Sunday, which could be the key factor in El Clasico.
Picks: Real Madrid to win’ over 2.5 goals