Ever since Hansi Flick arrived in Catalunya, Barcelona have been the force to be reckoned with in La Liga. Under his guidance, the Blaugrana have won back-to-back titles in 2024-25 and 2025-26, leaving Real Madrid supporters fuming.
This past season, Barcelona defeated Real Madrid by eight points, and they also beat them 3-2 in the Spanish Super Cup final, which ultimately cost Xabi Alonso his job. Alvaro Arbeloa temporarily took over for Los Blancos, but he didn’t last long either, and Jose Mourinho made his sensational return to Madrid this summer, with Arbeloa heading to Fulham.
Mourinho faces the daunting task of bringing back the glory days to Real Madrid, but Flick is in his way. Both Real Madrid and Barcelona have been busy retooling their rosters this offseason, which explains why the SBOTOP La Liga 2026 odds predict a closer title fight between these two powerhouses this time around.
Notable transfers from Barcelona and Real Madrid
Given their well-documented financial constraints, Barcelona spent more time releasing deadwood rather than adding new players, while Real Madrid did the opposite this offseason.
Barcelona sold Ansu Fati to AS Monaco for only €11 million while letting go of Robert Lewandowski to the Chicago Fire on a free transfer. In return, they bought Anthony Gordon from Newcastle United for €80 million, so they still have a negative net spend.
Moreover, the Blaugrana are also keen on bringing back Marcus Rashford and Joao Cancelo. However, Manchester United don’t want another loan deal, while Cancelo is more likely to be signed on a permanent deal from Al-Hilal. With Lewandowski heading to Major League Soccer, Barcelona are looking for a replacement, and they’re eyeing Julian Alvarez from Atletico Madrid – much to their dismay.
Meanwhile, Real Madrid have released David Alaba, Dani Ceballos, and Dani Carvajal, and sold Fran Garcia to Real Betis for only €4 million. In return, they signed Ibrahima Konate and Bernardo Silva for free while paying €75 million to acquire Marc Cucurella from Chelsea and Denzel Dumfries from Inter Milan.
Los Blancos have also been heavily linked to Michael Olise, who is reportedly keen on moving to Madrid. However, Bayern Munich aren’t dumb enough to sell one of their best players this summer.
Side-by-side look at their current rosters
As things stand, Barcelona are projected to have the starting lineup of: Joan Garcia, Jules Kounde, Pau Cubarsi, Ronald Araujo, Alex Balde, Gavi, Pedri, Dani Olmo, Raphinha, Lamine Yamal, and Ferran Torres. As for Real Madrid, they might deploy Thibaut Courtois, Raul Asencio, Eder Militao, Marc Cucurella, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Eduardo Camavinga, Aurelien Tchouameni, Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Jr., Rodrygo, and Kylian Mbappe.
After winning his second Pichichi trophy last season with 25 league goals, Kylian Mbappe carried over his superb form in the final third during the recently concluded World Cup, as he tallied 10 goals and four assists for Les Bleus, who finished fourth. He now has 22 career World Cup goals, one ahead of Lionel Messi for the competition record.
However, despite Mbappe’s exploits last term, Barcelona were the more prolific team in the final third, having notched 95 league goals compared to Real Madrid’s 77. Los Blancos have a slim edge in goals conceded (35 to 36), with the Blaugrana boasting a superior goal difference of +59 (compared to +42 for Los Blancos).
Ferran Torres and Lamine Yamal recorded 16 league goals apiece this past season, and they led Spain to their second World Cup trophy. However, they’ll surely miss Robert Lewandowski’s production, so Anthony Gordon has to step up big time. Raphinha, Dani Olmo, Pedri, and Fermin Lopez must also produce consistently next term.
On paper, these two Spanish powerhouses are evenly matched, as both sides can produce numerous new La Liga 2026 highlights.
Super early projections for Barcelona and Real Madrid
Injuries and fatigue will also play huge roles in their team’s fortunes this upcoming season, as Barcelona and Real Madrid’s stars are coming off deep World Cup runs. Lamine Yamal’s nagging hamstring injury is a concern for the Blaugrana, while Real Madrid’s backline has faced similar problems in the past few months.
Barcelona and Real Madrid met three times last season, with the Blaugrana winning twice and Los Blancos winning once. In La Liga, they split their two encounters, with the winner scoring at least two goals.
While the same outcome could be expected this year, we’re giving Barcelona the edge right now because of what they’ve built under Hansi Flick, while we’re not yet sure how Real Madrid will look under Jose Mourinho. Either way, we expect fireworks in every upcoming El Clasico match, especially with Mourinho on the touchline.
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