Seven-from-seven Barcelona host stretched Real Madrid in El Clásico

📰 Perfect Barcelona host a defensively depleted Real Madrid at Camp Nou on 25 October in the season's first Clásico. 📌 Key points 🏟️ Kick-off is 9pm local time on Sunday 25 October at Camp Nou. 📈 Barça lead LaLiga with seven wins from seven and 21 points. ⚽ Raphinha tops the scoring charts with 12 league goals. 🩹 Real have lost Raúl Asencio to surgery on a tibial stress fracture. ⚽ An exclusive Puma Clásico match ball will make its debut. 📝 What happened 🗓️ LaLiga confirmed the first Clásico of 2026-27 for Sunday 25 October at 9pm at Camp Nou. As of 30 September, Barcelona had won all seven league games for 21 points, while Real Madrid were fourth on 15 points after five wins and two defeats. 🩹 Barça's worry is Raphinha. He left the Brazil camp after a small muscular oedema was found in the back of his right thigh, but the club's own tests found no injury and he is expected to be available from the Getafe game on 10 October. 🧱 Madrid have a defensive crisis. Asencio had surgery on 1 October on a stress fracture in his right tibia and could be out for up to four months. Football España reported that at that point Dean Huijsen was suspended after his red card against Atlético and Ibrahima Konaté was injured, leaving Antonio Rüdiger as the only fit senior centre-back. ⚽ Off the pitch, LaLiga and Puma unveiled an exclusive ball for this season's two Clásicos, which will be used for the first time at Camp Nou on 25 October. 📊 By the numbers • Barcelona: W7 D0 L0, 21 points (as of 30 September) • Real Madrid: W5 L2, 15 points • Top scorers: Raphinha 12, Mbappé and Yamal 7 • Asencio: out for up to four months 👀 What to watch ⚡ Raphinha v Madrid's back line — the league's top scorer against a patched-up defence. Whether his thigh is fully right is the first question. 🧱 Rüdiger's burden — Rüdiger must lead the defence. Will Huijsen be back from suspension, and who will José Mourinho pair him with? 🎯 Mbappé's threat — on seven goals, Mbappé is Madrid's focal point. Space behind Barça's high line could decide the game. 📈 Contrasting form — Barça are perfect, while Madrid have already lost twice, including the derby at Atlético. Defeat would leave them well adrift of the leaders. 🔭 Why it matters It is early, but this result could shape the title race quickly. A Barça win would stretch the gap further, while a Madrid win would keep the chase alive. With Champions League fixtures also crowding October, squad management will matter for both.