Andriy Lunin has a fresh chance to prove himself in one of the toughest fixtures any goalkeeper can face, after circumstances forced an unavoidable change to Real Madrid's plans ahead of the eagerly awaited clash with Barcelona.
Real Madrid confirmed today, Sunday, that Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois will miss the Clasico, scheduled for the tenth round of the Spanish league, after coming down with flu symptoms. Ilya Voloshyn takes his place in the matchday squad.
With Courtois out, all eyes turn to Lunin. The Ukrainian looks set to guard the Madrid goal against Barcelona at the Camp Nou, in a test unlike any of his previous meetings with the Catalan rivals.
4 matches against Barcelona
According to data from Transfermarkt, Lunin has played 4 matches against Barcelona in a Real Madrid shirt: 3 in the Spanish league and one in the Spanish Super Cup.
Three wins and one defeat. His net was breached 8 times across these encounters, a tally that hands him a positive record ahead of the eagerly awaited Clasico.
Wins in Madrid and Saudi Arabia, and a humiliating defeat
Lunin's league appearances against Barcelona began on 16 October 2022, when Real Madrid won 3-1. The Ukrainian then returned for the Clasico of 21 April 2024, which ended in a 3-2 Madrid victory.
In the Spanish Super Cup final on 14 January 2024, Lunin featured in Real Madrid's big win over their traditional rivals by 4-1, his third win in the four encounters.
The only defeat came on 26 October 2024, when Real Madrid fell on their own ground against Barcelona by four goals to nil.
Camp Nou: a new challenge for Lunin
Today's clash carries an added challenge for the Ukrainian, because all four of his matches against Barcelona came away from the Camp Nou: three at the Santiago Bernabeu and one in the Spanish Super Cup final held in Saudi Arabia.
So this is a new test for Lunin, in the cauldron of Barcelona's stadium, as he looks to protect his positive record against the Catalan side.
The two sides' positions in the table only raise the stakes. Barcelona enter top with 27 points, against 21 for third-placed Real Madrid, lending the Clasico extra weight in the race for the summit.