When the final whistle sounded on May 11 at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, Real Madrid stood with their heads in their hands as Barcelona celebrated their fourth Clásico victory in 2024–25, one that all-but guaranteed them the La Liga title.
The 4–3 defeat was yet another stain on Los Blancos’ poor final campaign under Carlo Ancelotti. The Spanish giants failed to defend their Spanish or European crowns, conceded 83 goals and suffered four defeats against Barcelona across all competitions.
No Real Madrid team in history ever lost four Clásicos in a single season until 2024–25, when the likes of Kylian Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior and Jude Bellingham were powerless to stop their arch rivals from delivering embarrassment after embarrassment.
Hansi Flick’s men bested the 15-time European champions in the Spanish Super Cup final, the Copa del Rey final and twice in La Liga, scoring 16 goals across the four matches. Barcelona’s domestic treble, therefore, all came at the expense of Real Madrid.
Barcelona *dominated* El Clasico last season...
— Sports Illustrated FC (@SI_FootballClub) October 24, 2025
But a new look Real Madrid will make things very interesting. pic.twitter.com/h7UvVkUpEj
Much of the blame falls on Los Blancos’ injury crisis that forced natural midfielders Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni to round out a makeshift defense that simply stood no chance against one of the best attacks in Europe.
There were other glaring weaknesses, though, that weighed down Real Madrid. Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior struggled to build chemistry up top, Rodrygo was in the worst form of his career and Ancelotti’s midfield desperately missed Toni Kroos.
Yet no matter what issues plagued Los Blancos, losing four matches to Barcelona in a single campaign was an unacceptable run of form, one that requires a massive response in 2025–26.
Real Madrid Kick Start a New Era
Such a lackluster campaign ultimately cost Ancelotti his job. The winningest manager in club history bid farewell to the Spanish capital in May, opening the door for Xabi Alonso.
The former Bayer Leverkusen boss took over the biggest club in the world with the pressure of righting last season’s wrongs. After a trial-by-fire baptism at the FIFA Club World Cup, Alonso has calmly settled into his new role, leading Real Madrid to 11 victories in 12 matches in 2025–26.
The team is the most defensively sound it has been in years thanks to the arrivals of Dean Huijsen, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Álvaro Carreras, as well as the return of Éder Militão from injury. Tchouaméni, meanwhile, is in the best form of his career, bringing some much-needed stability to Los Blancos’ midfield.
Plus, Arda Güler’s expanded role has allowed Alonso’s attack to flourish, with Mbappé already bagging 15 goals in 12 appearances. Vinícius Júnior once again looks unstoppable as well, boasting 10 goal contributions across all competitions.
Real Madrid are a new and improved side, but their early success will mean nothing unless they put all the pieces together to beat Barcelona.
Alonso Must Eradicate Past Demons
Perhaps more so than any of the players, the pressure is on Alonso to deliver in his first Clásico in charge. As Ancelotti’s successor, the 43-year-old has near-impossible shoes to fill on the touchline, especially coming after last season’s woes against the Catalans.
The weight on Alonso’s shoulders is even greater in the face of his two failures since his move back to the Spanish capital. In Real Madrid’s two biggest clashes under the Spaniard, they suffered embarrassing defeats to Paris Saint-Germain and Atlético Madrid.
Two losses would have been bad enough, but questionable tactical decisions from Alonso in each match paint a worrying picture. Against PSG, the manager rolled out a head-scratching front three of Mbappé, Gonzalo García and Vinícius Júnior on the right wing.
Then, in his first Madrid derby on the touchline, Alonso threw a recently-recovered Bellingham into his XI and left Franco Mastantuono on the bench, shifting the balance of his attack without much success.
There is little leeway for Alonso come Sunday afternoon. Should the manager make another bad call, he risks a third defeat in his third big test as Real Madrid’s boss.
El Clásico Just Might Determine Real Madrid’s Fate
It’s rather absurd to claim a match in October will decide the season for either Real Madrid or Barcelona. Yet, El Clásico just might be the moment for Real Madrid to reestablish themselves as a powerhouse.
While the club’s legacy is not in question, its ability to reach the heights once achieved just a few years ago is. Going without a major trophy last season laced holes in Los Blancos’ previously impenetrable armor, only worsened by their shocking Madrid derby defeat.
Three points against Barcelona will not suddenly heal last season’s wounds or catapult Real Madrid to silverware, but it could be the statement victory this team desperately needs to get back to championship-winning form.
True redemption for Real Madrid will only end with reclaiming the La Liga crown from their arch rivals, and they can take the first step to dethroning Barcelona in Spanish football’s biggest match on Sunday afternoon.
READ THE LATEST REAL MADRID NEWS, TRANSFER RUMORS AND MORE
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Real Madrid’s Path to Redemption Begins With El Clasico .
