Real Madrid vs. Barcelona: The most even women's Clasico to date

Barcelona's first big test of the season comes on Sunday at Valdebebas. They take on Real Madrid at the Di Stéfano and, although all the precedents are favourable for the Catalans, the first Clasico of this season and of Liga F promises to be the most even to date.

Since the creation of the Real Madrid women's team, three years ago, eight Clasicos have been played: two in the 2020/21 season and six in 2021/22. The balance is favourable to Barça: the Azulgranas have won all eight games, they have 29 goals for and only five against. The top scorer in the classics is Alexia Putellas (with an average of one goal per game) who, injured, will watch the game from the stands.

IMPROVING MADRID

Los Blancos finally want to break with history and are looking better and better. They go into the game undefeated in all competitions: in the league, they has only dropped points in a draw with Levante; and in the Champions League, where they eliminated Man City again in the qualifiers, they drew with PSG.

Barça coach Jonatan Giráldez knows this well. At Saturday's press conference, he made it clear that "this Madrid is better than last year, because of how they have strengthened and because of the players they already had and who have already been together for a couple of seasons."

The truth is that the new additions have been a success for coach Alberto Toril, especially Caroline Weir: "With her, they have taken a qualitative leap, she is an experienced footballer who dominates the last pass, shoots from outside the area... she has fitted in very well due to the impact she has creating chances and scoring. Kathellen too, in defence."

GIRÁLDEZ'S RECIPE

For the Barça coach, the key will be “to be very attentive in the first minutes to determine what the game requires based on what the rival does. We are prepared to be able to counteract any type of pressure and we will have to determine then how we can attack so as not to leave them options."

WITH VICKY LÓPEZ

With no updates in the squad as far as the first team is concerned, Giráldez took three players from the reserve team to Madrid: Maria Pérez, Ona Baradad and Vicky López, recently back from India, where she won the Under-17 World Cup with Spain and was the best player in the tournament. Alexia Putellas, Caroline Graham Hansen and Mariona Caldentey are among those missing.