Real Madrid vs. Barcelona Prediction, Odds, and Best Bets for La Liga Week 11

Lamine Yamal (left) and Luka Modrić (right) during the last El Clásico at the Santiago Bernabéu
Lamine Yamal (left) and Luka Modrić (right) during the last El Clásico at the Santiago Bernabéu / IMAGO/AFLOSPORT

It’s that time of the year. The fixture every soccer fan in the world circles on their calendar is here. El Clàsico between Real Madrid and Barcelona will be one for the ages. 

Before the start of the La Liga season, it was widely expected that Real Madrid would run away with it. After winning the title easily last year, they added arguably the best player in the world Kylian Mbappe in the offseason. Plus, they maintained their elite young core and only lost Toni Kroos. 

That loss, however, proved to be too much so far. Even though they are in second place in the league and have won two of their three Champions League games, Real Madrid is nowhere near their peak performance from the last few seasons. Without Kroos, they struggle to unlock defenses and create enough chances against a deep backline. 

Yet, their talent is simply undeniable. The combination of Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Jr, and Mbappe has been more than enough to win games. 

However, they are facing a different beast on Saturday. Perhaps more surprising than Madrid’s underwhelming performance this season has been Barcelona’s incredible spell of dominance. Under new manager Hansi Flick, they have been playing their best soccer since the Pep Guardiola days. 

Their impressive run of form culminated with their win of the season so far when they defeated Bayern Munich 4-1 on Wednesday. That was the sixth time in 13 games this year that they scored at least four goals. The other such performances came against other solid sides like Girona, Villarreal, and Sevilla. 

This is a must-win game for Real Madrid who can’t afford to fall further behind in the standings because Barcelona doesn’t look like they will drop too many points this season. Can Barca prove that they are the team to beat in Europe? We can’t wait to see. 

Real Madrid vs. Barcelona Odds and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Moneyline:

Real Madrid: -105
Draw: +295
Barcelona: +215

Total Goals: 

Over 3.5: +105
Under 3.5: -130

Both Teams to Score:

Yes: -260
No: +200

Spread:

Real Madrid -0.5: -105
Barcelona +0.5: -130

Real Madrid vs. Barcelona How to Watch

  • Date: Saturday, October 26
  • Time: 03:00 p.m. EST
  • Venue: Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain
  • How to Watch (TV): ESPN, ESPN+, Fubo

Real Madrid vs. Barcelona Prediction and Pick

Both teams are coming off impressive mid-week victories against German sides. Real Madrid had a big 5-2 win against Dortmund after falling two goals behind in the first half. Barcelona, on the other hand, scored four against a stronger and more experienced Bayern side on Wednesday. 

This game promises a ton of intrigue, excitement, and goals. Barcelona has arguably been the best team in Europe so far this season. They have scored a total of 43 goals in 13 competitive games, winning 11 of them. Real Madrid has been far from that level this season but is the deepest and most talented team in the world. 

Will the better team or the more talented individuals come out victorious? 

In any derby or big-game situation, it is hard to pick against Real Madrid, especially at home. Estadio Santiago Bernabeu is a magical place that allows Madrid to beat any opponent, even when they are severely outplayed. They simply have too much firepower, creativity, and elite talent that they eventually come out on top. 

At the same time, Barca under Hansi Flick has been so dominant, well-organized, and disciplined that I trust them to find a way to get the score they want from this game. 

Barcelona already has a three-point lead in the standings. They don’t need to win on the road. Flick would be thrilled with a draw and the team we watched against Bayern Munich this week is more than capable of getting one. Barcelona will not lose. 

Pick: Barcelona +0.5 -130


Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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