Facing a title-chasing FC Barcelona, ​​a classic that looks like a cleaver for Kylian Mbappé's Real Madrid

El Clasico is always a special occasion. But the ^260th clash in history between Spanish football's arch-rivals, FC Barcelona and Real Madrid, on Sunday, May 11, at the Estadio Lluis-Companys de Montjuic for the ^35th matchday of the league (out of 38), is even more so, in more ways than one. Because both have a lot to lose.

The Catalan team currently leads La Liga with 79 points, but is closely followed by its "best enemy" Madrid, second with 75 points. Today's duel promises to be decisive in the quest for the title. The Blaugrana, just eliminated from the Champions League after an epic semi-final against Inter Milan, saw their dreams of a treble (European Cup, domestic cup, and league) disappear. The Merengue, eliminated in the quarter-finals of the continental competition by Arsenal , are looking to salvage a disappointing 2024-2025 season.

Although physically dazed by their defeat against the Nerazzurri on May 6, Barcelona are the favorites for this fourth clasico of the season. For good reason: they won the first three matches. First in October, during a total demonstration in the first half of the championship, which was moreover on the pitch of their rivals (0-4). Then, on January 12, during a long match in the Spanish Super Cup (5-2). Finally on April 26, in the final of the Copa del Rey, at the end of the suspense in extra time (3-2) .

The latter wasn't just a contest on the pitch. Shaken by repeated failures, Real Madrid had displayed what even the Madrid sports daily Marca described as an attitude deemed "intolerable and unworthy" , particularly towards referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea, who was targeted before and during the match by the Merengue. Since the incident, coach Carlo Ancelotti and his players have only had one match to play to regain their composure, narrowly beating Celta Vigo (3-2), thanks to a double from Kylian Mbappé, whose performances remain under scrutiny in Spain.

In his first season in the Casa Blanca jersey, the 26-year-old French international endured a string of collective frustrations, while maintaining excellent personal statistics. In La Liga, the number 9 has 24 goals to his name, just one behind Barcelona center-forward Robert Lewandowski, and thus remains in the running for the Pichichi, the trophy awarded to the top scorer in the Spanish league.

On Sunday on the Montjuic pitch, he could even enter Real history, equalling, or even surpassing, Chilean Ivan Zamorano, holder of the record for goals scored in a first season in the Merengue colours (37 in 1992-1993, all competitions combined, Kylian Mbappé has 36).

More than motivated by the stakes, the Frenchman is above all aware of the expectations surrounding him, notably those expressed by the supporters, for whom he took the trouble to write a message on his Instagram account: "We will fight until the end. Hala Madrid!" To which the local sports daily AS was quick to respond in an editorial: "Mbappé, we need you!"

In fact, the Madridistas will need the captain of the French national team in his best light, he who has almost always offered great performances on Catalan soil, especially in the Paris Saint-Germain jersey. Lively but caught offside eight times in his first clasico at the Santiago Bernabeu , then a frustrated scorer in the following two, in the Spanish Super Cup and the Copa del Rey final, Kylian Mbappé will once again be expected to savior a team still very unbalanced and weakened by injuries (Dani Carvajal, Antonio Rüdiger, Eder Militao, Eduardo Camavinga, Ferland Mendy).

In this final stretch for the title, the two rivals will still have three matches to play after this Sunday, or almost. Because, while Barça will conclude this 2024-2025 season in May, the Madrid side have one final deadline to perhaps alleviate this near-blank season – they have nevertheless won two minor titles, the UEFA Super Cup and the Intercontinental Cup.