Barcelona manager Hansi Flick says Rodri Hernandez was given additional rest before Sunday’s La Liga meeting with Real Madrid.

The midfielder was named among the substitutes for Barcelona’s Champions League match against Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday, which the Catalan side lost 4-2. Rodri Hernandez came on during the second half.

Barcelona will host Real Madrid on Sunday, 25 October. The home side go into the match top of the table, while Real Madrid are in third place.

Jose Mourinho’s role at Real Madrid is viewed as a temporary one, with his main responsibility being to bring unity to a divided squad, according to former Russian club manager Alexander Grigoryan.

Grigoryan believes the Portuguese coach has been brought in to address the lack of cohesion within the Madrid side before another manager takes charge.

“The team is split,” Grigoryan said, identifying that disunity as the central issue behind Real Madrid’s failure to produce results.

Real Madrid are third in La Liga with 21 points under Mourinho, six points behind leaders Barcelona.

Real Betis manager Manuel Pellegrini could be suspended for between four and 12 matches after making strong comments about refereeing following his side’s game against Barcelona.

The AESAF referees’ union is holding a meeting to decide whether to refer Pellegrini’s remarks to the Disciplinary Committee of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), according to derbyderbyderby.

The Chilean coach is being considered for disciplinary action because his comments were viewed as questioning the integrity of the officials.

Under Article 106 of the regulations, Pellegrini could also be fined between 601 and 3,005 euros if the case is pursued. The potential sanction applies to the former Manchester City manager because of the nature of his statements about the referees.

Pellegrini’s main hope may rest with previous legal decisions involving similar comments. Both the Sports Administrative Tribunal (TAD) and the ordinary courts have previously reviewed comparable statements and classified them as an exercise of the right to freedom of expression.

Barcelona have had 13 different goalscorers in La Liga this season, the highest number among clubs in Europe’s five leading leagues.

The record was extended in their latest match, when Hansi Flick’s side beat Real Betis 5-2. Rodri, Eric Garcia and Dani Olmo all scored their first goals of the season in the game.

Real Betis are the closest team to Barcelona in terms of the number of players to have scored, with 10. The same total has been recorded by Brighton in the Premier League and Serie A side Inter.

Barcelona’s next league fixture is against Real Madrid.

Former Real Madrid manager Jorge Valdano says he is tired of the debate surrounding refereeing in the Spanish championship.

Valdano’s frustration is not necessarily with the decisions themselves, but with the constant discussion and scrutiny they generate.

The Argentine coached Real Madrid from 1994 to 1996. The Madrid club is currently managed by Portuguese coach Jose Mourinho.

Levante and Athletic meet in the sixth round of the Spanish Championship on 21 October 2026, with the visiting side regarded as favourites to take all three points.

Levante go into the match 17th in the table with seven points. Their advantage over the relegation zone is based on additional criteria.

The Frogs have failed to win either of their last two matches. They drew 3-3 with Sevilla before sharing the points with Deportivo in a 1-1 draw.

Athletic are 11th, with nine points from their opening fixtures. The Lions are two points behind the top-six places.

The Basque club have also drawn their past two league matches. Their meeting with Alaves ended 0-0, while the game against Valencia produced the same scoreline. Athletic’s most recent victory came in a friendly against Real Sociedad, which they won 1-0.

The contrasting runs have shaped the betting outlook for the fixture. Levante are without a win in five consecutive matches, while Athletic have avoided defeat in their past six games.

Athletic also won the most recent meeting between the teams, prevailing 4-2.

Prediction

The forecast for the match is an Athletic victory. The visitors are expected to take advantage of their unbeaten run and overcome Levante in this contest.

Betting and viewing information

The source identifies the visiting team as the favourite but does not provide specific match odds.

It also lists bookmaker access after quick registration, naming Winline and Fon.bet.

Barcelona are set to be without Dani Olmo for Sunday’s La Liga meeting with Real Madrid after the attacking midfielder was injured during the Champions League defeat by Paris Saint-Germain.

Olmo, 28, started Barcelona’s 4-2 loss in Paris but was forced off after 27 minutes. Hansi Flick replaced him with Fermin Lopez.

According to Cadena SER, Olmo will not recover in time for the forthcoming El Clasico, leaving Barcelona without one of their key attacking players for the fixture.

The match will be played at Camp Nou on Sunday as part of the 10th round of La Liga, with kick-off scheduled for 23:00 Moscow time.

Olmo has scored one goal and provided four assists in 12 appearances for Barcelona this season.

Gerard Martin says Barcelona’s first defeat of the season will not affect their preparations for Sunday’s El Clasico against Real Madrid.

The Barcelona defender was speaking after Hansi Flick’s side lost 4-2 to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League. The result was sealed by two late goals from the French club, ending Barcelona’s unbeaten start to the campaign.

“This will not stop us in El Clasico,” Martin said.

Barcelona will return to domestic action on 25 October when they host Real Madrid in La Liga.

Sunday’s El Clasico will kick off at 23:00 Moscow time.

Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal has become the first player from Europe’s five leading domestic leagues to reach double figures for both goals and assists in all competitions this season.

The 19-year-old scored in Barcelona’s 4-2 defeat by Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League, taking his tally to 10 goals and 10 assists in 12 appearances.

The figures, recorded by Opta, put Yamal ahead of every other player from the top five European leagues in those categories this campaign.

Yamal has contributed two goals and four assists in three Champions League matches.

His record in La Liga stands at eight goals and six assists from nine games, meaning he has registered 20 direct goal contributions across the two competitions.

Real Madrid are seeking financial contributions from the six Premier League clubs that withdrew from the European Super League shortly after its launch, to help cover the project's setup costs.

The Spanish club confirmed the request to Reuters on Tuesday. The Athletic reported that the total bill could reach €80 million, with Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur being asked to make payments.

Those six clubs were among nine of the 12 founding members who abandoned the competition within three days of its launch in 2021. The project faced widespread opposition, prompting the rapid withdrawal of the English clubs and the other early departures.

Real Madrid said the six Premier League sides were liable for costs incurred during the establishment of the European Super League. Those expenses have so far been covered by Juventus, Barcelona and Real Madrid.

The Spanish club did not immediately confirm whether it was also seeking contributions from the other three clubs that withdrew at the same stage: AC Milan, Inter Milan and Atletico Madrid.

Tottenham Hotspur declined to comment. Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Reuters.

The Athletic reported that all the clubs had signed a shareholders' agreement relating to the European Super League Company, the holding company behind the proposed competition. However, it remains unclear whether that agreement explicitly stated that the clubs would be responsible for the project's setup costs.

The European Super League was launched in 2021 but collapsed shortly afterwards when nine of its founding clubs pulled out. The competition had been planned by 12 leading European clubs, but opposition to the proposal led to the withdrawal of the six Premier League members, along with AC Milan, Inter Milan and Atletico Madrid.

Juventus later left the project, while Barcelona formally withdrew in February. That left Real Madrid as the only remaining founding club.

The dispute over the Super League has also involved legal disagreements with UEFA. On February 11th, Real Madrid, UEFA and European Football Clubs announced an agreement of principles intended to resolve their Super League-related legal disputes.

Sevilla have lodged an official complaint with La Liga’s Department of Competitions over the television coverage of their 4-1 defeat by Real Madrid in the ninth round of the Spanish championship.

The club said the broadcast did not show enough replays of several disputed incidents and requested access to the footage from the relevant cameras, the regulations governing match filming and a report on the work of the television production team.

Sevilla specifically highlighted an elbow by Real Madrid midfielder Arda Guler on Peke, a possible penalty following contact between Marc Cucurella and a defender, and a foul they believe occurred before Real Madrid’s second goal.

In a statement published on their official website, Sevilla said those moments had not received the same level of coverage during the broadcast as the incident that led to a penalty being awarded to Real Madrid.

The club also asked for the original video recordings to be preserved and called for an investigation to ensure that all clubs are treated equally.

Earlier, the Technical Committee of Referees (CTA) explained that VAR had not intervened over the incident involving Guler because there was no clear image available.

Sevilla representatives subsequently met with the CTA to discuss the disputed incidents from the match. However, the club said the two sides did not reach a shared assessment of what happened.

The complaint is focused on the television production of the match and the availability of footage used to assess the key incidents.

Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya says he would like to play in La Liga before ending his career, although he remains happy at the Emirates Stadium and is under contract with the Premier League club until 2028.

The Spain international is still Mikel Arteta’s first-choice goalkeeper, having become one of the Premier League’s most dependable players since joining Arsenal from Brentford. However, Raya has not ruled out a return to his homeland at some point in the future.

“Yes, I would love to. I would love to try out La Liga,” Raya told Marca. “For now, I’m very happy here, but I would certainly like to experience the Spanish league.”

Raya, 31, added: “I think it’s a very competitive league. Perhaps, in the future, I could play for a Spanish club. I’m Spanish, and I’d love to play there, that’s for sure.”

The goalkeeper has made 114 appearances for Arsenal in all competitions since his move from Brentford. During that time, he has kept 52 clean sheets and conceded 89 goals.

Raya also played an important part in Arsenal’s Premier League and Community Shield successes last season.

Despite his interest in experiencing football in Spain, his immediate future remains linked to Arsenal, where his current contract runs until 2028. His performances have established him as a key part of Arteta’s side and ensured he continues to occupy the club’s first-choice goalkeeping position.

Raya’s comments leave open the possibility of a future move to La Liga, but he stressed that he is currently content with life at Arsenal.

Luis Enrique has asked his representatives to work on presenting him as a potential successor to Hansi Flick at Barcelona in the future, according to El Nacional.

Barcelona are performing well under Flick, but the German manager is expected to leave the Catalan club at some point. Luis Enrique would like to be considered when the time comes to replace him as head coach of the Blaugrana.

The former Barcelona manager is reportedly seeking to create the conditions for a return to the club, where he previously enjoyed a highly successful three-year spell.

Luis Enrique led Barcelona from 2014 to 2017, winning nine trophies during that period, including the Champions League.

His possible candidacy is understood to have the support of Barcelona midfielder Pedri. The Spain international enjoyed working with Luis Enrique during the coach’s time with the national team.

Luis Enrique has also won 13 trophies with Paris Saint-Germain.

The 56-year-old has previously described himself as a Barcelona socio, while making clear that his loyalty would not prevent him from wanting victory against the club when facing them.

“I am a Barcelona socio, but tomorrow I hope to win,” Enrique said.

Trent Alexander-Arnold’s difficult spell at Real Madrid could open the door to a return to Liverpool, but his form and fitness record may make the Reds reluctant to pay a significant fee for the England right-back.

The 28-year-old’s move from Liverpool to Real Madrid was met with widespread criticism from supporters, who felt one of the club’s own had decided his ambitions could only be fulfilled at the Santiago Bernabeu.

However, his time with Los Blancos has not developed as expected. Alexander-Arnold has suffered five separate injuries since joining the Spanish giants, limiting his availability and his ability to establish himself in the team.

Since the start of the 2025/26 campaign, he has made 41 appearances in all competitions, but only 14 have lasted the full 90 minutes. He has started 31 matches, been substituted in 18 of those and come off the bench in the other 10.

That amounts to 2,526 minutes of football, a relatively minor contribution compared with some of Real Madrid’s leading players. Vinicius Junior, for example, has played 5,435 minutes during the same period.

Alexander-Arnold has also been left unused on the bench in five matches this season, including Real Madrid’s most recent game against Sevilla. In that fixture, Jose Mourinho selected midfielder Fede Valverde at right-back despite Alexander-Arnold being fit and available.

Reports following the match suggested the defender could begin seeking a route away from Real Madrid, with Liverpool understood to be his preferred destination. Liverpool have struggled to replace him, with Jeremie Frimpong rarely reaching the level expected since moving to Merseyside.

Numbers raise questions over a return

Alexander-Arnold’s statistics may explain why he has not forced his way into Real Madrid’s starting XI more regularly.

His passing was a major strength during his Liverpool career, but his completion rate at Real Madrid is 84.86% - better only than Thibaut Courtois, on 78.01%, and Gonzalo Garcia, on 81.9%.

His crossing figures are also underwhelming. Of the 115 crosses he has attempted since joining the club - the highest total among Real Madrid players in that period - only 25 have reached a team-mate.

Defensively, his tackle success rate of 69.05% appears respectable, but he has attempted only 42 tackles in total, roughly one per game. He has also recorded 39 clearances and 31 interceptions.

In one-on-one duels, he has won 72 and lost 73 from 145 attempts. His headed-duel record is similarly negative, with seven victories and eight defeats from 15 contests. His strongest defensive statistic is possession regained, which he has achieved on 107 occasions.

Those figures help explain why Thomas Tuchel did not include him in the squad for the World Cup in the USA earlier this year.

Liverpool, or any other potential buyer, would presumably expect a substantial reduction on his current estimated market value of about €60 million. Real Madrid paid €10m to sign him before his contract expired so he could feature in the Club World Cup.

A loan deal involving a similar fee in the January window could offer Alexander-Arnold an opportunity to rebuild his career elsewhere.

Real Madrid forward Yann Diomande is not concerned about his current lack of a regular starting place despite the club paying €125m for him during the summer transfer window.

According to The Touchline, Diomande has complete faith in Jose Mourinho’s plans for his development. The player understands that he needs to gain more experience before becoming a first-team regular at Real Madrid.

Diomande also accepts his present role within the club and is not allowing discussion of his transfer fee to affect him. His focus is solely on making progress.

Real Madrid will host RB Leipzig in the Champions League on Wednesday, 21 October.

Ibrahima Konate says his time at Real Madrid has exceeded his expectations and has described the Spanish side as the best club in the world.

The 27-year-old France centre-back joined Real Madrid last summer as a free agent. He has made 10 appearances for the club since his arrival, without registering a goal or assist.

Konate is now preparing for Real Madrid’s next Champions League fixture, against RB Leipzig on 21 October. The match will kick off at 22:00 Moscow time.

Al-Ittihad are interested in signing Real Madrid forward Brahim Diaz and are prepared to offer €25m for the Morocco international, according to journalist Ekrem Konur.

The Saudi club are looking to strengthen the right side of their attack and have identified Diaz as one of their leading transfer targets.

Diaz has played fewer minutes than he would have expected since the beginning of the current season, with competition for attacking positions at Real Madrid limiting his opportunities.

Despite his reduced playing time, the 25-year-old reportedly wants to remain at Real Madrid and continue competing for a place in the starting line-up.

Diaz’s contract with Real Madrid runs until June 2027. There is currently no official agreement between the two clubs.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has indicated he will discuss the incident involving Arda Guler in Real Madrid’s match against Sevilla at a later time.

Guler struck an opponent with his hand during the game but was not shown a red card. Asked about the decision, Laporta replied: “There will be time to talk about Real tomorrow.”

Barcelona are due to face Paris Saint-Germain away in the Champions League on Tuesday evening.

The match at Parc des Princes will kick off at 22:00 Moscow time. A text commentary of the game will be available on the LiveResult portal.

The referee originally selected for Sunday’s El Clasico between Barcelona and Real Madrid will reportedly be replaced, with the new official expected to be announced in the coming days.

The Spanish refereeing committee had initially appointed Hernandez Hernandez and his team to take charge of the match at Camp Nou. However, Jose Mourinho objected to the decision after details of the appointment were leaked.

The committee subsequently decided to make a change, according to The Touchline, citing Marca. Hernandez Hernandez will therefore not referee the meeting, although the identity of his replacement has not yet been confirmed.

Barcelona and Real Madrid will play on Sunday, 25 October. Kick-off is scheduled for 23:00 Moscow time.

Former FIFA referee Sergey Lapochkin says the Sevilla player involved in an elbow incident with Arda Guler should have been sent off during the meeting with Real Madrid.

The incident occurred in the 22nd minute, when the referee took no action after the visiting player struck Guler with an elbow.

“There is no other decision here apart from a dismissal,” Lapochkin said.

Real Madrid went on to win the match 4-1, with Guler also getting on the scoresheet.

The result leaves Real Madrid on 21 points in third place in the table. Atletico are second with 22 points, while Barcelona lead the standings on 27 points.