Barcelona prepares for El Clasico as Thibaut Courtois faces late health issues

The first El Clasico of the 2026-2027 season is scheduled for tonight, October 25, at 22:00 at Camp Nou, where Barcelona hosts Real Madrid. Barcelona currently leads La Liga with a perfect record of nine wins in nine matches, aiming to extend their lead to nine points over the visitors. Real Madrid, coached by Jose Mourinho, sits in third place with 21 points and is looking to build on their recent 4-1 Champions League victory over Leipzig.

A significant point of uncertainty surrounds Real Madrid's squad as goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois is suffering from a flu-like illness. While the club initially announced that he was out of the squad and replaced by Illia Voloshyn, with Andriy Lunin expected to start in goal, later reports from Spanish media suggest that the Belgian goalkeeper's condition has improved and he might still participate in the match if he continues to recover in time. The team remains under pressure to secure a positive result to stay in contention for the league title after their recent Champions League efforts.