Barcelona’s El Clasico Crisis: Kounde Ruled Out, a 19-Year-Old Takes Over, and Mourinho Smells Blood

Barcelona are nine wins from nine in La Liga, six points clear of Real Madrid, and heading into the first Clasico of the season with a makeshift defence held together by a teenager. This is not how Hansi Flick drew it up.

The first El Clasico of the 2026-27 season kicks off at Spotify Camp Nou on Sunday, October 25. Barcelona sit top of La Liga with a perfect record: nine matches, nine wins, 27 points, 39 goals scored and just nine conceded. Real Madrid are third, six points adrift, still searching for consistency under Jose Mourinho .

On paper, this is Barcelona’s Clasico to lose.

On the team sheet, it is a different story.

The Right-Back Position Has Collapsed

Barcelona’s defensive crisis began during the 5-2 win at Real Betis on October 17. Eric Garcia, who had started seven of Barcelona’s nine La Liga fixtures, suffered a muscular injury to the rectus femoris of his right thigh. The club ruled him out for three to four weeks, meaning he misses El Clasico entirely .

Jules Kounde, the primary alternative at right-back, suffered a sprain in his left ankle in the same match. The initial hope was that he could recover in time. That hope is now gone. Kounde has been practically ruled out of Sunday’s game after failing to train with his teammates at Ciutat Esportiva. His focus has already shifted to returning for the Alaves match on October 31 .

Andreas Christensen, the third centre-back option, has been out since suffering a left quadriceps injury against Sevilla on September 19. He has already missed four competitive fixtures, and Barcelona are now considering the possibility of his absence lasting up to two months .

That leaves Flick with one realistic option at right-back: Xavi Espart, a 19-year-old La Masia graduate who was not even a guaranteed starter at the beginning of the season.

My Take: Espart Is Not a Stopgap. He Might Be the Solution.

Here is what the panic headlines will miss. Espart is not being thrown into El Clasico because Flick has no choice. He is being trusted because he earned it.

In the 4-2 defeat to PSG in the Champions League on October 20, Espart started at right-back and delivered a performance that convinced Flick he belongs. He contained Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, one of Europe’s most dangerous wingers, and capped the performance with a goal. He registered eight recoveries and two defensive clearances. It was, as Barcelona’s own website described it, a coming-of-age performance .

This is not a fairytale. It is a tactical reality. Flick has been experimenting with Espart on both flanks all season. The teenager has played left-back, right-back, and impressed in both roles. Against Real Madrid, with Vinicius Junior suspended, Espart will likely face Yan Diomande, a different kind of threat but one he is equipped to handle .

The risk is obvious. Espart is 19. El Clasico is the biggest club match in world football. One mistake and the narrative writes itself. But the alternative is a back three that Flick has not used all season, or pulling a midfielder into defence. There is no safe option. There is only the option that gives Barcelona the best chance to play their game.

Espart gives them that.

Real Madrid Have Problems of Their Own

Mourinho’s side are not arriving at Camp Nou at full strength either. Vinicius Junior is suspended for four league matches after his red card against Villarreal, meaning he misses El Clasico . Raul Asencio is a long-term absentee after undergoing surgery on a stress fracture in his right tibia, with a recovery timeline of two to three months.

That means Kylian Mbappe leads the line without his most dangerous partner, supported by Jude Bellingham and the young Yan Diomande .

But Madrid’s form is improving. They have scored four goals in each of their last three matches, including a 4-1 win over RB Leipzig in the Champions League. Mourinho knows how to win at Camp Nou. The tactical battle will be fascinating. Flick’s Barcelona dominate possession and stretch teams down the flanks. Mourinho’s Madrid will sit compact, absorb pressure, and launch quick counterattacks through Mbappe and Bellingham .

If Barcelona’s makeshift defence can be pulled out of position, Madrid have the pace to punish them. That is exactly why Espart’s discipline matters more than his attacking output. If he stays compact, if he does not dive in, if he trusts Cubarsi and Martin alongside him, Barcelona can control the game. If he gets dragged out of position, Mbappe will find the space.

The Numbers That Favor Barcelona

Barcelona have won their last 23 La Liga matches at home. They have not lost to Real Madrid at Camp Nou since 2023. They have won four of the last five Clasicos across all competitions, including a 2-0 victory in May that secured the league title.

The historical record is also on the line. Both clubs have 106 official Clasico victories. A Barcelona win on Sunday would put them ahead for the first time in the fixture’s history.

But records are broken. Mourinho knows how to win at Camp Nou. The difference this time is that his Madrid team is still being built, while Flick’s Barcelona is already built.

The one thing Barcelona cannot afford is a defensive collapse. And with a 19-year-old at right-back, that is exactly what Madrid will be targeting.

What Happens Next

The Clasico will not decide the league. It is October. There are 29 matches still to play after this weekend. But it will decide something more important for Barcelona: whether Flick’s squad has the depth to survive a season with Champions League ambitions and a domestic title defence.

If Espart performs, Barcelona have a right-back for the next decade and a win that sends a message to Madrid. If he struggles, the crisis deepens, and the January transfer window becomes a necessity rather than a choice.

Either way, the teenager will be the story. Not Mbappe. Not Yamal. Not Mourinho’s return to the Clasico stage.

A 19-year-old who was not supposed to be here, playing the biggest match of his life, because everyone ahead of him in the pecking order is injured.

Barcelona’s season might not hinge on this game. But Espart’s career might.