Now stuck in as a Real Madrid player, Kylian Mbappe gets his first taste of El Clasico venom as his Blancos host hated rivals Barcelona at the Bernabeu on Saturday.
It's been a rocky road for Mbappe in his first few weeks as a Real Madrid player, drawing criticism from media and fans for his inconsistent performances up front. They faced a scare on Tuesday in Champions League play, trailing 2-0 at halftime to Borussia Dortmund before roaring back for a 5-2 win.
Still, Madrid trail Barcelona by three points in the La Liga table, needing to win to close the gap on the current leaders who have only dropped points in one game of 10 thus far.
Barcelona have started impressively under Hansi Flick, but still have work to do to prove they are genuinely improved from last season when they were clear second-best to their Clasico rivals. A road win at the Bernabeu would certainly go a long way towards a statement of such intent.
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Real Madrid vs. Barcelona prediction, odds
- Moneyline lean: Real Madrid (-105)
- Score prediction: Real Madrid 3-2 Barcelona
Barcelona were mighty impressive against Bayern Munich at home in midweek Champions League action, but they were the beneficiaries of some truly naive coaching on the part of Vincent Kompany, who insisted on playing an outrageously high line throughout the match.
There's no way Carlo Ancelotti will make such a mistake, and Real Madrid's uncanny ability to get out of jail will lift them should they suffer any early slip-ups. When this Madrid team wants to be great, they can be great, it just sometimes takes a bit of a nudge — but this time, El Clasico should be enough of a jolt on its own.
| BetMGM (USA) | |
| Real Madrid win | -105 |
| Draw | +300 |
| Barcelona win | +240 |
| Both teams to score | Y: -275 N: +180 |
| Over / Under 3.5 goals | O: -110 U: -130 |
| Real Madrid -0.5 goals | -115 |
| Barcelona +0.5 goals | -125 |
Real Madrid vs. Barcelona match facts
- Date: Saturday, October 26, 2024
- Kickoff Time: 9 p.m. local (3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT)
- Location: Santiago Bernabeu (Madrid, Spain)
- Referee: Jose Maria Sanchez Martinez
- Last meeting: Real Madrid 3-2 Barcelona (Apr. 21, 2024 | La Liga)
MORE: A complete guide to betting on soccer in the United States
Real Madrid vs. Barcelona best bet
- Best bet: Vinicius Jr. anytime goal scorer
- Odds: +130 (FanDuel)
- Pick: Kylian Mbappe anytime goal scorer
- Odds: -115 (FanDuel)
Both of these players have reason to enjoy a storybook breakout in a globally spotlighted El Clasico affair. Vinicius Jr could rubber stamp a famous win for Real Madrid with a Ballon d'Or award on Monday, a moment fit for the script writers. Oh, and feel free to add in that the Brazilian has his second-best goal scoring record against Barcleona of any opponent, with seven goals in 17 games just one behind his favorite foe Valencia.
Mbappe, meanwhile, could lay to rest a litany of criticism for his start to life at Real Madrid, as many claim he's upset the balance of an already prolific Madrid front line. Some, such as former Madrid star Steven McManaman, aren't worried about his slow start, and what better way to reward that faith than earmarking a Real Madrid win in this big game?
You can parlay these two selections together for a +340 return, as they've both found the net in three of 10 league games so far this season, but even one unit on each results in a solid return with less downside.
Real Madrid vs. Barcelona prop bet
- Pick: Total number of goals — Odd
- Odds: -115 (BetMGM)
Normally we wouldn't be suckered into selecting such a nonsensical and seemingly random play, but there's reason to believe this result is a reasonable outcome.
Each of the last four El Clasico meetings has finished with an odd-numbered scoreline. Why? Because these two teams play extremely close games, and yet always end up with a winner.
Since the start of the 2020/21 season, Real Madrid and Barcelona have contested 14 matches, nine have finished with an odd-numbered scoreline, with eight of those being one-goal victories for one side or the other. Expect drama when it comes to this spell-binding fixture.
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