Barcelona arrive at Sunday's El Clasico carrying the weight of two contrasting narratives. Their La Liga campaign has been flawless, nine wins from nine games, and a victory over Real Madrid at Spotify Camp Nou would set a new record for the best start to a top-flight Spanish season, surpassing the mark Real Madrid themselves set in 1968-69. That domestic dominance places Hansi Flick's side six points clear of their visitors in the table, with the gap potentially stretching to nine by full time.

The mood inside the camp is not entirely settled, though. A 4-2 Champions League defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in midweek ended an 11-match unbeaten run and exposed defensive vulnerabilities that Flick has since worked to address in training, particularly around set-pieces. His back line is already stretched. Jules Kounde is a major doubt with an ankle sprain, while Eric Garcia, Andreas Christensen and Dani Olmo are all ruled out. Flick has backed his young replacements publicly, praising Pau Cubarsi, Gerard Martin and Xavi Espart, but the defensive unit will face a stern examination against Kylian Mbappe, who has scored 12 goals in 12 appearances this season.

Flick's tactical answer to that threat is collective rather than individual. Compact positioning and a high defensive line are central to his plan, with the entire unit expected to work in concert rather than relying on man-marking. Midfielder Rodri, making his Clasico debut after joining from Manchester City this summer, has urged the squad not to be deceived by Madrid's inconsistent league form, warning that Los Blancos always raise their level in this fixture.