Where to watch El Clasico: Barcelona vs. Real Madrid live stream, pick, predicted lineups, odds, how to watch

The final edition of El Clasico this season will take place on Sunday when Barcelona host Real Madrid in a match that will be crucial in determining who wins La Liga's title race. Barcelona enter the match with a four-point lead over Real Madrid atop the table, keeping them in the driver's seat to win the title with just four games left on the schedule. Combined with the fact that Hansi Flick's side have beaten their rivals three times already this season, it feels like Sunday's match favors Barcelona. After their back-and-forth 7-6 aggregate loss to Inter in the UEFA Champions League semifinals, though, there's a question of whether Barcelona will be up to the task.

The point gap between first and second place in La Liga's is just small enough to entertain the idea of Real Madrid getting the better of Barcelona on Sunday, a result that would send both teams into a frantic race to the finish line. The game is an all-important one for Los Blancos, too, considering La Liga's title is the difference between them ending the season trophyless or not, especially notable in what is expected to be Carlo Ancelotti's final campaign in charge of the team.

Ahead of a consequential edition of El Clasico, here's what you need to know before tuning in.

How to watch El Clasico, odds

• Date: Sunday, May 11 | Time: 10:15 a.m. ET
• Location: Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys -- Barcelona, Spain
• TV: ESPN | Live stream: Fubo (Try for free)
• Odds: Barcelona -110; Draw +300; Real Madrid +240

Last meeting

These two met up just two weeks ago in Seville for the Copa del Rey final, which Barcelona won in a dramatic 3-2 match. Pedri gave Barcelona the lead in the 28th minute, but second-half goals from Kylian Mbappe and Aurelien Tchouameni meant Real Madrid had the lead by the 77th minute. Just seven minutes later, though, Ferran Torres scored and set the game to extra time. The final goal of the game came with just four minutes left on the clock courtesy of Jules Kounde, while the match ended with a fracas as several Real Madrid players disagreed with a refereeing decision. Jude Bellingham, Lucas Vazquez, and Antonio Rudiger were all sent off at the end of the game, while Rudiger received a six-match ban for throwing an object at the referee and is currently two matches into that suspension.

What Barcelona are saying

Barcelona's quest to win the treble for the first time in a decade is officially over after their crushing Champions League defeat, forcing one big question ahead of Sunday's Clasico: Are they ready for another major matchup? Flick said in his pre-match press conference on Saturday that Barcelona have successfully pivoted to the task at hand in the days since their disappointing trip to Milan.

"After the defeat in Milan, everyone knows it's not easy after the match, but we're doing great," Flick said. "We spoke about that and what we want to do in the next two weeks. We have four matches to go. Of course, the Clasico is tomorrow and it is very important to show again how good we can play. Everyone knows in the Clasico, you have to be on your highest level. We want to be active, see the intensity on the pitch, and be dominant as normal. We know Real are a fantastic team, but we're at home, we have our fans. Real will try everything to win it, like us. I don't care about the table at the moment. We have to win. We want to win. This is our mentality, our attitude. This is how we will start the match. We focus on this match, nothing else."

Much as they have been over the last few weeks, though, Barcelona will once again be shorthanded. Robert Lewandowski, who returned from a short-term injury on Tuesday, and the same may be true for Alejandro Balde.

"As starters, I don't think the moment is right for them," Flick said. "Ferran [Torres] in attack and Gerard [Martin] at left-back are doing very good. When you see Gerard, how he's playing in a semifinal of the Champions League, it's really great. [Marc] Casado is also available. But we have to take care. We have three more league matches after Madrid. Tomorrow is more for them to come on in the second half."

What Real Madrid are saying

As has been the case for the last several weeks, Real Madrid enter yet another game with the lingering questions about Carlo Ancelotti's future. The Italian manager will reportedly exit the club, potentially to join the Brazil national team ahead of the 2026 World Cup, though he said the uncertainty will not cloud the players' preparation ahead of El Clasico.

"It's not that complicated to prepare for these matches because there's no need to prepare the players," Ancelotti said in his pre-match press conference on Saturday. "You have to give them the clearest possible ideas about how they should play the match. What's happening around us hasn't affected us at all this week. We're fine and very confident. No problems."

Ancelotti did have the chance to praise Xabi Alonso, the former Real Madrid player and outgoing Bayer Leverkusen coach who is very likely to succeed Ancelotti in the coming weeks.

"I've read he's leaving Leverkusen, where he's done a fantastic job," Ancelotti said. "All doors are open to him, because he's shown himself to be one of the best coaches in the world."

Predicted lineups

Barcelona: Wojciech Szczesny, Eric Garcia, Pau Cubarsi, Inigo Martinez, Gerard Martin, Frenkie de Jong, Pedri, Lamine Yamal, Dani Olmo, Raphinha, Ferran Torres

Real Madrid: Thibaut Courtois, Lucas Vazquez, Aurelien Tchouameni, Raul Asencio, Fran Garcia, Dani Ceballos, Federico Valverde, Rodrygo, Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Junior, Kylian Mbappe

Player to watch

Lamine Yamal, Barcelona: Lamine Yamal is quickly becoming the default answer to prompts like this one, finding a way at just 17 years old to become the foundation for Barcelona's success. Flick's side may be without Lewandowski for much of this game, but the last few weeks have offered the latest reminder that Yamal is more than capable of leading the team's attacking plans, both by setting up the teammates in front of him and by getting his own name on the scoresheet. He has 15 goals and 20 assists this season, including two in each category in the three Clasicos so far this season. The teenager will be especially helpful since Barcelona's biggest weakness is their porous defense, an issue they can usually survive because they generally outscore the opposition, Real Madrid included – they have scored their rivals 12 to four so far this campaign.

Storyline to watch

Can Barcelona hold on?: Barcelona's talents are clear, as is their record against an underperforming Real Madrid this season. The big question is if that will matter after their Champions League elimination, but it is not the only unknown variable going into Sunday's Clasico. Inter's midweek triumph may not have revealed Barcelona's defensive shortcomings, which have been on display all season long, but the Champions League finalists were perhaps the first to really make them pay for it. It is a situation that is technically ripe for the taking for Real Madrid, who boast the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior, two players who should be able to outdo a porous back line. That is where the trouble lies for Los Blancos this season – they have exuded imbalance in their new era of the Galacticos, and have limited end product to show for it. The final Clasico of the season should be a chance for one of these teams to really make a statement, but it's entirely possible neither of them have enough left in the tank to actually do that.

Prediction

It is not out of the question for Real Madrid to reverse course on their lopsided record against Barcelona this season, especially considering what's at stake. Barcelona's defensive woes, though, are something they have in common with their opposition – Ancelotti's side will be without Rudiger, likely forcing Aurelien Tchouameni to play makeshift center back yet again alongside the fairly inexperienced Raul Ascensio, which could complicate matters.

Even if the defensive messes balance each other out, Barcelona still have the edge in attack. No matter the individual quality on Madrid's roster, they have not found a way to make it all click just yet. As for Barcelona, they have been able to score goals without Lewandowski – 12 in five games, to be exact – and as long as they are up for the task, they should be able to demonstrate their strengths once again on Sunday. Pick: Barcelona 3, Real Madrid 1

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