Real Madrid have closed the gap on Barcelona and deserve favourites tag

Barcelona won the league by four points last time around, while Los Blancos endured a difficult campaign. They won’t want that to happen again.

Odds courtesy of Stake. Correct at time of publishing and subject to change.

Los Blancos’ next set of stars

Real Madrid weren’t too far off the pace last season. Although they ended it without a big trophy - a rarity for Los Blancos - they were always in the mix. They finished as runners-up to Barcelona three times, however, and that won’t sit well with anyone in Madrid.

Barcelona lifted all three major trophies: La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Supercopa de Espana. Los Merengues’ biggest challenge this summer was working on closing that gap, and they’ve made clear efforts to do just that. Xabi Alonso has made four signings for the first team, and all but one are aged 22 or under.

For Alonso, however, returning players could be as important as any new arrivals. There was a point in May when they were without their entire back four due to injury, but problems plagued them throughout. Now, amid an overhaul of their medical department, they hope for better in 2025/26.

Many stars aren’t far away from their return to action, and with Dean Huijsen, Alvaro Carreras and Franco Mastantuono joining, there’s plenty to be optimistic about. Trent Alexander-Arnold’s arrival is a major reinforcement - he’s come in to bolster Alonso's options and add real quality. 

Having the likes of Eduardo Camavinga, Dani Carvajal, Ferland Mendy and Eder Militao back will offer a huge boost - whenever that happens. Add them to the new recruits, and Real are in good shape.

Overcoming Barca

The rivalry with the Blaugrana brought little joy for Madridistas last season. Their side lost all four El Clasico meetings in 2024/25, including two final defeats that handed Barca silverware. There’s no doubt this played a part in Carlo Ancelotti’s departure.

Barca won’t be any weaker this season, either. They’ve not lost any key players, and they have added Marcus Rashford to their attacking arsenal. With another year of experience under the belts of their plethora of talents, Hansi Flick’s side will be a threat once again.

Last season, Los Blancos simply didn’t have enough to cope when they were depleted by injuries. Even 44 goals from Kylian Mbappe weren’t enough to help them clinch any major silverware. Now, with some fresh legs and returning key figures, Alonso will be confident of a strong debut campaign as manager.

Whether they can topple Barca remains to be seen, but they’ve certainly done enough to close the gap on them. Real do have more experience when fully fit, but questions remain about how smoothly they’ll adapt under the new manager. Their Club World Cup form was excellent, until it fell apart. 

The way that Paris Saint-Germain put them to the sword showed how much work there is to be done. They’ll also be without Jude Bellingham for a bit. The first few weeks will show just how well prepared they are to make a push for Barca’s crown.