El Clasico prediction: Real Madrid vs Barcelona – the best bets, odds and betting tips for the first duel of the season

Kylian Mbappe, now stuck as a Real Madrid player, gets his first taste of El Clasico poison when his Los Blancos host hated rivals Barcelona at the Bernabeu on Saturday.

It was a rocky road for Mbappe in his first few weeks as a Real Madrid player, who was criticized by the media and fans for his inconsistent performances in attack. They suffered a scare in their Champions League match on Tuesday, trailing 2-0 to Borussia Dortmund at half-time before recovering with a 5-2 win.

However, Madrid are three points behind Barcelona in the La Liga table and need to win to close the gap with the current leaders, who have only lost points in one of ten games so far.

Barcelona have made an impressive start under Hansi Flick, but still have a lot of work to do to prove that they are truly better compared to last season, where they were significantly second best to their Clasico rivals. An away win at the Bernabeu would certainly make a big contribution to such a declaration of intent.

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Real Madrid vs Barcelona prediction, odds

• Moneyline Lean: Real Madrid (-110)
• Result prediction: Real Madrid 3-2 Barcelona

Barcelona were mighty impressive in their midweek Champions League game at home to Bayern Munich, but benefited from some truly naive guidance from Vincent Kompany, who insisted on playing an outrageously high line throughout the game.

It is impossible for Carlo Ancelotti to make such a mistake and Real Madrid's uncanny get-out-of-jail ability will set them free should they suffer any early slip-ups. If this Madrid team wants To be great they can be great, sometimes all it takes is a little push – but this time El Clasico alone should provide a jolt.

Facts about the Real Madrid vs Barcelona game

• Date: Saturday, October 26, 2024
• Kick-off time: 9:00 p.m. local time (3:00 p.m. ET / 12:00 p.m. PT)
• Location: Santiago Bernabeu (Madrid, Spain)
• Referee: Jose Maria Sanchez Martinez
• Last meeting: Real Madrid – Barcelona 3-2 (April 21, 2024 | La Liga)

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Real Madrid vs Barcelona best bet

• Best choice: Vinicius Jr. is a goalscorer at all times
• Opportunities: +135 (FanDuel)

• Choose: Kylian Mbappe is a goalscorer at all times
• Opportunities: -115 (FanDuel)

Both players have reason to be happy about a fairytale breakthrough in the El Clasico affair that has been in the spotlight around the world. Vinicius Jr. could seal a famous Real Madrid victory with a Ballon d'Or on Monday, a fitting moment for the writers. Oh, and feel free to add that the Brazilian has the second-best goalscoring record of all opponents against Barcleona, with seven goals in 17 games, just one behind his favorite opponent Valencia.

Mbappe, meanwhile, could put to rest a number of criticisms of his start at Real Madrid, with many claiming he has upset the balance in an already productive Madrid frontline. Some, like former Madrid star Steven McManaman, aren't worried about his slow start, and what better way to reward that belief than by setting up a Real Madrid win in this big game?

You can play these two picks together to get a +340 return as both have scored in three out of ten league games so far this season, but even one per unit results in a solid return with fewer downsides.

Real Madrid vs Barcelona Prop Bet

• Choose: Total goals – odd
• Opportunities: -115 (BetMGM)

Normally we wouldn't be tempted to choose such a nonsensical and seemingly random move, but there is reason to believe that this result is a reasonable one.

Each of the last four El Clasico meetings ended with an odd result. Why? Because these two teams play extremely close games, but in the end there is always a winner.

Since the start of the 2020/21 season, Real Madrid and Barcelona have played 14 games, nine of which ended with an odd result, eight of which were one-goal wins for one team or the other. Expect drama when it comes to this addictive game.