FC Barcelona vs Real Madrid: Confirmed Lineups - Surprises in the League Clásico!

Published New:11/05/2025 - 14:58h

Updated New:11/05/2025 - 14:58h

CONFIRMED LINEUPS! These are the starting XIs for Barça and Madrid for Matchday 35 of LaLiga. Hansi Flick keeps his team intact against Inter in the Champions League

OFFICIAL: The starting lineups for Hansi Flick's FC Barcelona and Carlo Ancelotti's Real Madrid for Matchday 35 of LaLiga EA Sports 2024/25 have been confirmed. Both teams are going all out in search of a decisive step towards the title, with only three matchdays remaining until the end of the season.

FC Barcelona's Starting Lineup against Real Madrid

Hansi Flick is making one change compared to the Copa del Rey final against Real Madrid. Eric García will take the place of the injured Jules Koundé at right-back, while Gerard Martín remains in the lineup instead of Balde. In the center of defense, Pau Cubarsí once again partners with Iñigo Martínez.

Similarly, Frenkie de Jong will occupy the pivot position. Pedri and Dani Olmo complete the midfield, while Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, and Ferran Torres form the attacking trident. Thus, Flick repeats the lineup from the Champions League 'semi' second leg against Inter Milan.

Barça's starting XI (OFFICIAL):

Tactical note: Eric García is the right-back. Cubarsí and Iñigo form the center-back pairing, and Gerard Martín is the left-back. Raphinha is the left winger and Ferran, the center forward, with Lamine on the right. Although many rotations are expected in attack, thanks to Dani Olmo's mobility.

(#25, P) Szczesny
(#24) Eric García
(#02) Pau Cubarsí
(#05) Iñigo Martínez
(#35) Gerard Martín
(#21) Frenkie de Jong
(#08) Pedri
(#20) Dani Olmo
(#19) Lamine Yamal
(#11) Raphinha
(#07) Ferran Torres

Barça's bench (substitute players):

(#01, P) Ter Stegen
(#13, P) Iñaki Peña
(#03) Alejandro Balde
(#04) Ronald Araujo
(#06) Gavi
(#09) Robert Lewandowski
(#10) Ansu Fati
(#15) Andreas Christensen
(#16) Fermín López
(#17) Marc Casadó
(#18) Pau Víctor
(#32) Héctor Fort

Barça's injured players:

(#14) Pablo Torre
(#23) Jules Koundé
(#28) Marc Bernal

Barça's suspended players:

None (no suspended players)

How do Hansi Flick's changes affect Barcelona's scheme?

Hansi Flick is once again tweaking his defensive line due to injuries. We analyze them:

Barça is fielding its best available XI, looking to seal the League title. Cubarsí and Iñigo will once again lead the defense, with Eric García and Gerard Martín on the flanks. Frenkie and Pedri direct the midfield, while Dani Olmo will once again be the attacking midfielder, behind the trident formed by Lamine, Raphinha, and Ferran.

Goalkeeper and defense:

A defense with tweaks: Eric García returns as right-back in place of the injured Jules Koundé. Pau Cubarsí will partner Iñigo Martínez in the center of defense. Gerard Martín also remains in the starting eleven, although Alejandro Balde has been medically cleared and will be on the bench.

Midfield:

Frenkie de Jong returns and Gavi will be on the bench. Flick is also keeping Dani Olmo in the attacking midfield position. The Terrassa native has been fundamental in the last two League matches, scoring against Celta and Mallorca.

Attack:

In the attacking trident, Ferran Torres will start, in place of Lewandowski, alongside Lamine Yamal and Raphinha. The Pole is available on the bench and will surely have minutes in the second half.
The '7' remains the reference in the area and seeks to consolidate himself as the team's top scorer in the absence of 'Lewy'. So far, he has 3 goals in 10 Champions League matches. 'The Shark' already has 19 goals this season.
Raphinha, again, will be the left winger, with Lamine on the right and Ferran as '9'. In the center of the field, Pedri and Olmo will be the team's creative players, giving mobility and clarity to the Azulgrana game.

Real Madrid's Starting Lineup against FC Barcelona

Real Madrid XI:

(#01) Courtois
(#17) Lucas Vázquez
(#14) Tchouaméni
(#35) Asencio
(#20) Fran García
(#19) Ceballos
(#08) Valverde
(#05) Bellingham
(#15) Arda Güler
(#09) Mbappé
(#07) Vinicius

Real Madrid Bench: Lunin (GK), Mestre (GK), Jacobo Ramón, Youssef, Vallejo, Luka Modric, Brahim Díaz, Rodrygo, Endrick, Víctor Muñoz.

Real Madrid, for their part, arrive at the match against Barcelona with multiple injury absences. In addition to the absences of Dani Carvajal and Éder Militao, out for the entire season due to serious injuries, Los Blancos will also be without Ferland Mendy, Eduardo Camavinga, and David Alaba, all three injured for the final stretch of the season along with Antonio Rüdiger.

The German is also suspended after his regrettable behavior in the Copa del Rey final, which means Carlo Ancelotti will have to bet again on Aurélien Tchouaméni as Raúl Asencio's partner in the center of defense. The full-backs will be Lucas Vázquez and Fran García, while Fede Valverde and Dani Ceballos are in charge of containment in the midfield.

Further forward appear Jude Bellingham and Arda Güler, the latter in great form in the last three weeks, with a couple of goals and assists. In attack, the Vinicius and Kylian Mbappé duo returns, with Rodrygo, Brahim Díaz, and Luka Modric waiting for their opportunity on the bench.

Sensitive Absences: Who are the injured players for Barça against Real Madrid?

The injuries of Jules Koundé, Pablo Torre, and Marc Bernal represent a significant setback for FC Barcelona in the final stretch of the season.

Below, we detail the individual impact of each absence due to injury on the team.

Jules Koundé (starting right-back)

Jules Koundé scored the winning goal for Barça in the Copa del Rey final

Impact: after playing 86 consecutive matches with the club over the last 12 months, Koundé finally rested on matchday 33 against Mallorca. The Frenchman was the MVP of the Copa final, scoring the winning goal, but was injured in the first leg of the Champions League semi-finals against Inter Milan. The '23' has 4 goals and 8 assists in 53 matches with Flick's team.
Consequences: in principle, Barça has not determined the length of Jules' absence, who suffers from a distal injury to the biceps femoris of the left thigh. Flick only has Héctor Fort as a substitute right-back and, in the Champions League, he opted for Eric García as an emergency solution. Ronald Araujo could also be a 'patch' to deal with his absence.

Pablo Torre (Offensive Midfielder)

Impact: The Cantabrian was called to be a starter against Valladolid, but suffered some discomfort in his left knee and, finally, fell out of the squad. Pablo can be an option as an attacking midfielder, alternating position with Fermín López to give more depth to the Azulgrana attack.
Consequences: His absence represents a tough emotional blow for a footballer who barely accumulates 421 minutes of action spread over 14 matches. The '14' has not started in the League since matchday 15 and, in the second half of the season, he only played 45' against Osasuna and 3' against Girona.

Marc Bernal (Midfielder, defensive midfielder)

Impact: Bernal, one of the revelations of the youth academy, suffered a serious knee injury (rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament) and says goodbye to the season.
Consequences: His absence deprives the team of a physical and tactical profile that had provided balance and energy in the center of the field. Bernal was a valuable alternative for matches of high physical demand and his absence forces Flick to rely more on experienced players or to advance the progression of other young players.

In summary, the absences of Koundé, Torre, and Bernal force Flick to rethink his strategy in terms of variants on the bench for the match against Real Madrid. Defensive solidity, creativity in midfield, and depth to make rotations in the second half are affected, but the team trusts in the quality of its squad to overcome this challenge, with the majority of starters available.