The past few weeks have been anything but dull at Real Madrid, as an increasing number of internal conflicts have been making their way into the public eye. The most recent incident allegedly saw Valverde and Tchuaméni come to blows in the dressing room, with the Uruguayan player suffering a cut to his forehead that required stitches at the hospital. However, reports now suggest that events did not unfold quite in that manner – though the truth will likely remain unclear for some time yet.
Meanwhile, Florentino Pérez is reportedly already searching for Arbeloa’s successor, and it appears that Mourinho could once again be in the frame as Los Blancos’ head coach. The “Special One”, however, comes with rather demanding requirements, which Pérez may find rather difficult to stomach.
🚨 BREAKING: Aurelien Tchouameni and Fede Valverde have been FINED for €1M total by Real Madrid, €500k each.
NO sporting measures against the two players after they apologised. 🫱🏻🫲🏼 pic.twitter.com/jUudpjoZOH
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 8, 2026
Over on the Catalan side, club president Laporta has been openly amused by the Mbappé saga – the forward having apparently spent his recovery time in Italy with his girlfriend. Mbappé’s former club PSG, for their part, have reached the Champions League final for the second consecutive season since his departure, with the showpiece event set to be held in Budapest later this month. Barcelona, meanwhile, need only a draw to be crowned league champions – and given the chaos currently reigning in the capital, it is entirely conceivable that the home side could snatch the win.
Barcelona vs Real Madrid – Match Predictions
El Clásico always carries a spicy atmosphere, and the fact that the Catalans could clinch the title at the expense of their fiercest rivals makes it an even sweeter prospect – an added twist of the knife for Madrid. Hansi Flick will almost certainly field his strongest available side in pursuit of all three points. The bookmakers have been steadily shortening the odds on a home victory.
On the injury front, Lamine Yamal is struggling with a thigh problem and is not expected to be available on Sunday. Madrid’s list, however, is considerably longer: Carvajal, Militão, Güler, and Rodrygo are all sidelined through injury, Ceballos does not feature in the manager’s plans, and both Valverde and Tchuaméni are expected to play no further part this season following the disciplinary proceedings arising from the alleged dressing room incident. Valverde is additionally ruled out due to his head injury.
Mbappé is said to have recovered from his knock, though he is not expected to start. The Frenchman, in any case, already appears to have his mind set on the World Cup. While Madrid remains mathematically in with a shout of winning the title, it is frankly difficult to imagine Barcelona throwing it away from here.
After El Clásico, three rounds of fixtures remain in the season. Barcelona face Alavés, Betis, and Valencia, whilst Real Madrid travel to Oviedo before hosting Sevilla and Athletic Bilbao. Of Barcelona’s remaining games, only the Betis fixture carries any real uncertainty – though even there, on the basis of their head-to-head record, the Catalans remain favourites. The notion that Barcelona would lose all three of their remaining matches simply does not hold water.
🚨| 𝐉𝐔𝐒𝐓 𝐈𝐍: Barcelona WILL receive the La Liga trophy after the El Clásico match tomorrow if they win it. [@mundodeportivo] #fcblive 🏆 pic.twitter.com/EikklxC4Fm
— BarçaTimes (@BarcaTimes) May 9, 2026
And should they seal the title on Sunday, one might well expect a rather more relaxed approach to the games that follow, with rotation and squad depth taking precedence.
All in all, every ingredient is in place for Barcelona to win the match – and with it, the league title.
