FC Barcelona vs Real Madrid: Who arrives better at the start of LaLiga?

FC Barcelona and Real Madrid are ready for the start of LaLiga next weekend. The 'culé' team visits Mallorca on Saturday, August 16, while the 'merengue' hosts Osasuna on Tuesday the 19th. Both have very different realities in terms of their preparation, as the Azulgrana team arrives in better physical condition.

Barça finished the 24/25 season on May 25 after closing their performance in LaLiga with a thrashing of Athletic Club at San Mamés (0-3). The 'culé' team rested for a month and a half before resuming work at the Ciutat Esportiva.

Hansi Flick's team returned to activity from July 14. They trained for ten days at the Joan Gamper Sports City before traveling to Asia, where they would be from July 24 to August 4. Afterwards, they returned to Barcelona to play the Joan Gamper Trophy on August 10.

Real Madrid arrives with many doubts after a 'flash' preseason

Meanwhile, Real Madrid finished the season on July 9 after falling in the semifinals of the Club World Cup against PSG (4-0), taking almost a month of vacation. Xabi Alonso's team began the preseason on August 4, three weeks after FC Barcelona.

In that sense, Barça's planning was much more organized. They prepared three friendlies in Asia, one in Japan and two in South Korea. Additionally, they closed with the Joam Gamper Trophy at the Estadi Johan Cruyff with a victory against Cesc Fàbregas' Como (5-0).

The Asian tour closed with a full of victories. First, they obtained the victory on Japanese soil against Vissel Kobe (1-3), then they surpassed FC Seoul (3-7) and finished with a thrashing against Daegu (0-5) in Korean territory.

On the contrary, Real Madrid only played one friendly before the start of the Liga EA Sports 25/26, after thrashing WSG Tirol in Austria this Tuesday (0-4).

Although the Whites left good feelings in Innsbruck, Xabi Alonso still has a lot to retouch in his XI. Doubts about Rodrygo's continuity, the absence of a 'playmaker' and doubts about the central duo (Dean Huijsen is the only undisputed) generate many doubts in the white environment.

On the contrary, Barcelona starts the 25/26 season with a consolidated team, reinforced with the signings of Joan García, Marcus Rashford and Roony Bardghji. Three pieces that have fit very well into Hansi Flick's scheme, providing greater depth to a team capable of scoring 174 goals in 60 games the previous year, which, this summer, scored another 20 goals in its four friendlies.

Real Madrid's infirmary, much more populated than Barça's

In addition, in the physical aspect, Real Madrid has several casualties to start the season. Jude Bellingham, operated on his left shoulder, along with Ferland Mendy, a rupture of the proximal tendon of the rectus anterior in the right quadriceps, will not be available in the initial stretch of the season.

They are joined by Eduardo Camavinga (ankle sprain), Endrick Felipe (hamstrings) and Federico Valderde (muscle overload). In conclusion, the team has five casualties for its debut in Laliga, three of them of medium duration. Both Jude, Camavinga and Mendy are expected to be out until the end of October.

On the contrary, Barça only has two casualties. Marc -André ter Stegen, due to lumbar problems, and Robert Lewandowski, who presents, muscle discomfort in the femoral biceps of the left thigh. Marc Bernal is already in condition to play again.

For all this, FC Barcelona, clearly, arrives better in the physical and footballing aspect at the beginning of LaLiga. Hansi Flick's team are the main favorites to revalidate the title and aim for the treble in 2026.

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