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#3 Ansu Fati and Vinicius Jr. embark upon a new rivalry
For close to a decade, Real Madrid and Barcelona had the privilege of fielding the two greatest players of this generation. Cristiano Ronaldo was the first to move out of La Liga back in 2018. Lionel Messi had no intention of leaving the Blaugrana, but he ultimately joined Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer this summer.
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On Sunday, Real Madrid and Barcelona will mark the beginning of a new era, an era without the genius of Messi or Ronaldo. Thankfully, both La Liga outfits have a couple of world-class youngsters in their ranks and we expect them to make a telling impact on Sunday.
Vinicius Jr has been in fine form for Real Madrid this season, registering seven goals and five assists in 11 matches across all competitions.
Ansu Fati, on the other hand, had to overcome a potentially career-ending injury. Since returning, Fati has scored twice and assisted once in three La Liga matches, which is more than promising.
This Sunday we are betting on Fati and Vinicius to lead the charge.
#2 Karim Benzema and Memphis Depay to get on the scoresheet
La Liga top-goal scorer Karim Benzema has been Real Madrid’s knight in shining armor this season. He has registered nine goals and seven assists in eight La Liga appearances this season, marking his best-ever start to a league campaign.
Barcelona's Memphis Depay has not been nearly as prolific as the Frenchman, but he, too, has a knack for scoring important goals. Considering the quality of creators Real Madrid and Barcelona have, there will be no shortage of goalscoring opportunities.
We expect both forwards to hit the back of the net at least once over the course of the match.
#1 Season’s first El Clasico to end in a draw
El Clasicos have always been an unpredictable affair. With so many world-beaters on the pitch, it is almost impossible to predict the outcome. However, if we were to take a calculated guess, we would have to call this one a stalemate, albeit an exciting one.
Real Madrid and Barcelona have plenty of firepower up top, although it is the visitors who have the advantage thanks to their in-form no. 9. Benzema and Vinicius Jr could put Real ahead, but Los Blancos’ lackluster defense might not be able to keep Barcelona at bay.
Additionally, Carlo Ancelotti won only one of his four La Liga El Clasicos in his first spell as Real Madrid boss.
Considering Real Madrid's considerably depleted squad, we do not expect Carlo to get his first win at the Camp Nou this Sunday.
