The Santiago Bernabeu will host a great duel for the leadership that right now belongs to FC Barcelona. In their most complicated week after being virtually eliminated from the Champions League, Xavi Hernández's men want to show firmness in a League that must be the first stone of his reconstruction before being a candidate for the Champions League again.
In front of them, they will have a much more serene Real Madrid that faces the classic with the lesson learned. Carlo Ancelotti already announced that he would not make any revolution in his eleven. In his memory there is still the memory of last season's 0-4 where he opted for a lineup with Modric of 9 to make up for Benzema's loss. The Frenchman will be at the Bernabeu today. Instead, goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois remains low. In his place Andriy Lunin will play in the fifth game in a row and his first classic of his.
In front Ancelotti returns to bet on the Uruguayan Fede Valverde, who becomes the third member of the offensive trident, to the detriment of the Brazilian Rodrygo Goes, who after seven consecutive starts returns to the bench.
The German midfielder, who received twenty stitches on Tuesday in the Champions League match against Shakhtar when he scored the equalizer, will play with a protective mask if he makes his debut in his first classic. Initially, David Alaba and Militao will be the central defenders, with Ferland Mendy keeping his place on the left side. Ancelotti decided not to do without the experience of Toni Kroos or Luka Modric
The once of Real Madrid: Lunin; Carvajal, Éder Militão, Alaba, Mendy; Tchouameni, Kroos, Modric; Valverde, Vinicius and Benzema
Xavi, who in his only visit to the Santiago Bernabéu as coach his team put on an exhibition that ended in a landslide (0-4), faces the Clásico with the captains' doubts cleared up. The coach leaves Jordi Alba and Gerard Piqué out of the eleven but continues to have Sergi Roberto and Sergio Busquets.
The FC Barcelona eleven: Ter Stegen; Sergi Roberto, Kound, Eric Garcia, Alexander Balde; F. De Jong, Busquets, Pedri; Raphinha, Lewandowski and Dembele
The former will act as right-back in a defense completed by Eric Garcia and the recovered Jules Koundé to the detriment of Gerard Piqué, who was singled out in Inter Milan's draw. Koundé, who has not played a minute since he was injured last September 23 in the biceps femoris of the left thigh with his national team, was discharged yesterday. The defense is completed by Alejandro Balde on the left-hand side while Marcos Alonso remains on the bench.
Busquets will lead the midfield alongside Frenkie de Jong and Pedri. It is the same midfield that thrashed the Bernabeu last year. Gavi does not start from the beginning. Ahead there are no surprises. Xavi is clear about his trident with Lewandowski, Dembélé and Raphinha.
