Paulo Fonseca downplayed the significance of next week's Champions League clash with Real Madrid following Milan's gritty 1-0 away win over Monza.

Milan are seventh in Serie A following Saturday's win, which came courtesy of a Tijjani Reijnders header.

The Rossoneri, who have been crowned champions of Europe on seven occasions, are 25th in the new-look Champions League standings, having taken three points from their opening three matches.

But Fonseca did not think his team would be overawed at the prospect of facing 15-time European champions Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday.

"I am always fired up for every game and do not think that Real Madrid is any more important than what we played tonight," Fonseca told Sky Sports Italia.

"I strongly believe in teamwork. Nowadays, football is challenging; we need to function as a team at all times, and that’s what we’re striving to achieve."

Speaking to DAZN, Fonseca added: "On Tuesday, we face Real, but it doesn't matter if it's Real Madrid or any other team; we need points to improve our position in the standings. I hope it will be a great night for all of us."

While Monza dominated the first half, they could not find the margins to score. Milan rallied in the second half, with Fonseca acknowledging that the first-half performance was below par.

"I was concerned in the first half as we weren’t aggressive enough and didn’t win enough individual duels, but I don’t really remember Monza's chances in the second half," Fonseca said.

"We adjusted what we needed to do during the half-time break and it was a totally different game after that."

Substitute Rafael Leao entered the match late and came close to scoring twice in the closing stages.

"He came on well, it is important to have this reaction from Rafa and that's what I want to see. I think he is ready to play in Madrid," Fonseca said.

Dorival Junior feels Vinicius Junior suffered an "injustice" by not winning the Ballon d'Or, as the Brazil head coach slammed the "unfair situation".

The Real Madrid winger failed to scoop the accolade despite scoring 24 goals and providing 11 assists last season, as Los Blancos won a LaLiga and Champions League double.

The club opted to skip the ceremony after hearing Vinicius Junior would miss out on the top award, which was won by Manchester City and Spain midfielder Rodri.

Madrid's decision not to attend generated mixed reviews. City head coach Pep Guardiola empathised with Carlo Ancelotti's side, but LaLiga president Javier Tebas accused them of "exaggerated victimhood".

Dorival acknowledges Rodri was deserving of the award, having helped City to an unprecedented fourth successive Premier League title before starring Spain's victorious Euro 2024 squad.

However, the Selecao boss believes Vinicius has every right to feel aggrieved at missing out.

"In my opinion, [it's] an unfair situation, especially because it is an individual award," Dorival told reporters during a press conference.

"Nothing against whoever won the award, quite the opposite. It is the recognition of one of the great players of Spanish football, but Vinicius - for the work he did - should have received different attention.

"But the greatest prize that Vinícius won was the recognition and respect of his people. The vast majority of the Brazilian people realised the injustice that was done to the player who could have deservedly received the award."

Valencia's Copa del Rey match against Parla Escuela has been postponed after the devastating flash floods hit the region. 

Valencia's away game against the sixth-tier side was to be played in Parla, located 15 miles from the Spanish capital of Madrid, on Wednesday.

The match has since been rescheduled for November 6, while other games within proximity have also been postponed. 

Levante's trip to fourth-tier Pontevedra in north-west Spain has been pushed back to next week, as has the tie between Xerez and AD Ceuta. 

Thursday's Copa del Rey fixtures were also affected, with Manises' encounter with Getafe also called off.

"Given the current circumstances, it is possible that other matches scheduled for tomorrow, Thursday, may also experience changes," the RFEF said in a statement.

"The RFEF, in coordination with the various clubs, is working intensively to assess all possible scenarios and take appropriate measures."

Valencia host LaLiga champions Real Madrid at Mestalla Stadium on Saturday, though there has been no official confirmation whether the game will go ahead. 

LaLiga president Javier Tebas has accused Real Madrid of "exaggerated victimhood" as he slammed the club's decision to boycott Monday's Ballon d'Or ceremony.

The club opted to skip the ceremony after hearing Vinicius Junior would miss out on the top award, which was won by Manchester City and Spain midfielder Rodri.

The Brazil winger failed to scoop the accolade despite scoring 24 goals and providing 11 assists last season, as Los Blancos won a LaLiga and Champions League double.

Madrid's decision not to attend sparked controversy, though City boss Pep Guardiola empathised with Carlo Ancelotti's side, insisting "it is up to them".

However, it has not gone down well with LaLiga boss Tebas, who feels it went against the club's principles.

"I am a Real Madrid fan. The most important values of this club are being a gentleman and shaking hands when you lose," he told l'Equipe.

"I think Real Madrid lost that spirit a long time ago. They should have gone to the ceremony and not questioned France Football's system, which is transparent, with 100 journalists voting.

"Real's victimhood is unnecessary and exaggerated. I don't know where they want to go."

Pep Guardiola understands Real Madrid's decision to boycott Monday's Ballon d'Or ceremony, insisting "it's up to them".

Rodri scooped the top award in Paris after helping Manchester City win an unprecedented fourth successive Premier League title, while he was part of Spain's victorious squad at Euro 2024.

The central midfielder's importance is highlighted by the fact City have not tasted defeat in any of the 34 Premier League games in which he has featured this year.

Rodri pipped Vinicius Junior to the accolade, with the winger and his club sparking controversy by not attending after finding out he would not be winning.

The Madrid winger scored 24 goals and provided 11 assists last season, as Los Blancos won a LaLiga and Champions League double.

Guardiola empathises with Vinicius, who he feels was also deserving of the award, but highlighted other notable recent examples where the result could have gone either way.

"It's up to them," the Citizens boss said. "If they want to congratulate, that's fine. If not, that's fine as well. At Manchester City, we are not here to judge other clubs on what they decide they have to do.

"Last year, for example, Erling [Haaland] won the Treble, scored more than 50 goals. I said to him: 'just being there, you have to be so happy'. I said the same to Rodri. If you are in the first two, three or four, it's exceptional. You have to be so satisfied.

"Last season, should Erling have won? Yes. Should Messi have won? Yes. It's not important [who wins]. It represents that you and your team-mates have done something really nice that season.

"Should it be Vinicius? Maybe. It's [voted by] journalists, you know, not an elite group of people who decide. It's [people] all around the world that vote, not just one country. There are different opinions, and that's what makes football nice, no?

"Of course, if [Vinicius] won, it would have been more than deserved. The same with Erling [Haaland] last year. It will be really open. There will be more chance to win."

Guardiola also paid tribute to Rodri, who became only the third different Spanish winner of the Ballon d'Or after Alfredo di Stefano (1957 and 1959) and Luis Suarez (1960).

The midfielder was also the first Spaniard to make the top three since Andres Iniesta finished third in 2012, with the City head coach acknowledging the dominance of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

"Rodri made an incredible speech," Guardiola added. "He spoke about family, Man City and Spanish football.

"In the last decade, Spanish football has made such a difference - they've won a World Cup, a Euros - and Spain were never able to win this award before. Their importance in the last 10 or 15 years has been so important.

"I remember once we nominated three players from La Masia. Xavi and Iniesta couldn't win it because Messi's a monster and nobody could beat him - just Cristiano [Ronaldo]. He's a monster and the father of the monster is Messi."

Carlo Ancelotti and his Real Madrid players highlighted their frustration at the Ballon d'Or result on social media.

Vinicius Junior was a favourite to scoop football's biggest individual accolade on Monday.

However, reports emerged prior to the ceremony in Paris that the winger would not be winning the men's prize, with Manchester City midfielder Rodri taking it instead.

Madrid, who were named Team of the Year, did not send a single representative to the ceremony.

Ancelotti, meanwhile, won the inaugural Men's Johan Cruyff Trophy for leading Los Blancos to a LaLiga and Champions League double last season.

Jude Bellingham, Dani Carvajal and Kylian Mbappe all finished within the top six of the Ballon d'Or voting.

Ancelotti singled out Vinicius and Carvajal, who is now sidelined with a serious injury, for specific thanks.

"I want to thank my family, my president, my club, my players and above all Vini and Carvajal," the Italian wrote on social media.

In a statement to AFP and Spanish media, Madrid suggested if Vinicius had been overlooked, then it was not right for Carvajal, who scored in the Champions League final against Borussia Dortmund and also helped Spain win Euro 2024, should have won it instead.

"If the award criteria doesn't give it to Vinicius as the winner, then those same criteria should point to Carvajal as the winner," the Madrid statement read.

"As this was not the case, it is clear that [the] Ballon d'Or and UEFA do not respect Real Madrid. And Real Madrid does not go where it is not respected."

Vinicius' team-mate Eduardo Camavinga also used social media to outline his frustration at the result.

"FOOTBALL POLITICS X. My brother, you are the best player in the world and no award can say otherwise. Love you my bro," the France international posted on X.

Marta, an icon of the women's game, also shared her sympathy with her compatriot.

"I waited all year for Vini to be deservedly recognised as the best player in the world and now they come to tell me that the Ballon d'Or is not for him?" she said in a video on Instagram.

Vinicius subsequently posted on social media, writing on X: "I will do it 10 times if I have to. They're not ready."

Asked what Vinicius meant with his post, his management staff told Reuters that he was referring to his fight against racism and that they believe it was what led to him not winning the award.

They added: "The football world is not ready to accept a player who fights against the system."

The 24-year-old has been subjected to racial abuse on several occasions in Spain, leading to at least two convictions for racist insults in pioneer cases in the country.

France Football, which organises the Ballon d'Or awards, was not immediately available for comment.

Manchester City's Rodri has won the Ballon d'Or after a sensational year for club and country, beating Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior to the accolade.

Rodri becomes the first Spaniard to win the award since Barcelona's Luis Suarez back in 1960. 

The 28-year-old was an integral part of Manchester City's unprecedented fourth consecutive Premier League title triumph, with Pep Guardiola's side not tasting defeat in the 34 league games that Rodri featured in, winning 27 and drawing seven.

He then kept up his winning habit over the summer as he helped Spain to glory at Euro 2024, and was named the Player of the Tournament, despite being forced off due to injury in the final. 

Rodri is expected to miss the remainder of the season as he was forced to undergo anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) surgery, and was helped up on stage by Didier Drogba to claim the accolade, with the midfielder having arrived at the ceremony in Paris on crutches. 

The Man City star is also the first player to win the Ballon d'Or while playing for an English club since Cristiano Ronaldo in 2008.

Vinicius, who was tipped to win the award after netting 24 goals and adding 11 assists in all competitions last term, finished second, with Madrid team-mate Jude Bellingham making up the top three. 

Madrid do have a fair amount to celebrate, though.

Carlo Ancelotti was named the winner of the Men's Johan Cruyff Trophy for the best coach, having guided Los Blancos to last season's LaLiga title as well as the club's 15th Champions League triumph. 

And Madrid were also picked out as the Men's Club of the Year.

However, there was no one present in Paris to claim the award, with Madrid representatives reportedly boycotting the event after Vinicius' snub for the Ballon d'Or.

Rodri's international colleague, Lamine Yamal, scooped the first award of the ceremony, winning the Kopa Trophy, which is awarded to the best player under the age of 21. 

Yamal is the first player aged under 18 to win the award. He scored seven goals and added nine assists in his debut season with Barcelona, and has continued his rapid rise after starring in La Roja's European Championship success. 

Yamal already has 11 goal involvements (five goals, six assists) in LaLiga this term, a total only bettered by Barcelona team-mates Raphinha (12) and Robert Lewandowski (16). 

The Gerd Muller Trophy was shared between Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe. 

The award, given to football's most prolific forward, was shared for the first time, with both Kane and Mbappe netting 52 goals in all competitions across 2023-24.

Kane enjoyed a fine debut year with Bayern Munich, though his wait for a first major trophy of his career continued, while Mbappe's final campaign with Paris Saint-Germain ended with two honours.

Emiliano Martinez picked up the Yashin Trophy for a second year running after his performances for Aston Villa and Argentina.

In the Premier League, Martinez kept nine clean sheets, helping Villa clinch qualification for the Champions League for the first time since the 1982-83 season.

He also played a key role in Argentina winning their 15th Copa America title with five shutouts in six games.

Marc Casado praised Barcelona’s daring high line following a resounding 4-0 Clasico victory against Real Madrid in LaLiga.

The win put an end to Madrid’s aspirations of a record unbeaten run in the league as they were unable to equal Barcelona’s streak of 43 games without loss between 2017 and 2018.

Instead, the Santiago Bernabeu witnessed a finessed Hansi Flick offside trap as the hosts were caught offside a whopping eight times in the first half, representing their joint most on record (since 2003-04) in a single LaLiga match, equalling their tally against Celta Vigo in March 2013. 

They were ultimately caught out 12 times in total, and Barcelona midfielder Casado, who bagged an assist, was enamoured by his side's defensive display.

"It's incredible, to have the b**** to have the defensive line this high," he said in the mixed zone.

"We've been doing it all season, the defensive work of this team is spectacular. It's incredible and at the moment it's working for us."

His delight was unsurprising. Barcelona managed to nullify the Real Madrid threat with forward Kylian Mbappe caught offside eight times through the duration of the match.

It is the most by any player in a single game in Europe's top five leagues since Karim Benzema against Eibar in November 2018.

Barcelona were firing at the other end too, as Robert Lewandowski bagged a brace before Lamine Yamal and Raphinha doubled their margin of victory late on.

It means Barcelona now have 10 wins in 11 games so far this season under Flick, leaving them six points clear at the top of LaLiga.

Goalkeeper Inaki Pena, who came through the ranks at Barcelona, has been impressed by the turnaround in form since the coach's off-season arrival.

"I'm super happy now, I am a proper Culer. We suffered a lot towards the end of last season, it was a tough time," he told Barca's official media channels.

"Flick came in and just told us how much we had to believe in ourselves, on a personal level and on a collective level."

Both Casado and Pena came through La Masia, which remains a key source of talent for the Catalan giants.

"We know that this club always brings out very good players from the academy, I don't know how it happens but it always comes out. The work at La Masia is spectacular and that's why we arrive so prepared for the elite," Casado added.

Hansi Flick is loving his time at Barcelona as he celebrated a resounding 4-0 success over Real Madrid in El Clasico.

Flick's side ran out convincing victors at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday, with Robert Lewandowski scoring twice in quick succession before Lamine Yamal and Raphinha sealed the result.

Barca snapped a four-game losing streak against their fiercest rivals, while they also ended Madrid's hopes of matching their LaLiga-record unbeaten run of 43 games, which was set under Ernesto Valverde in 2018.

The Blaugrana's win came on the back of a 4-1 thrashing of Flick's former club Bayern Munich, and the ex-Germany coach is enjoying life at Barca.

"I'm delighted to be working at Barcelona and to live in Barcelona," he said after collecting his 10th LaLiga win from 11 games this season.

"It's a fantastic job, I'm very happy.

"We have played a fantastic game and I am so proud.

"We pressed better with and without the ball [in the second half]. We had more possession and that's why the game changed."

Barca's high line was a key factor in their victory, with Madrid caught offside eight times in the first half alone, with Kylian Mbappe in particular struggling to stay on the right side of the defence.

"The defensive effort was key," Flick added.

"We have trained a lot on how to defend with a high line and on how we want to press on the ball. It's also important not to leave spaces when you play Real Madrid because they have incredible players.

"I think we are doing well. We are sticking to our idea and right now we are fluid and we want to move forward."

Lewandowski has now scored 10 goals in 16 meetings with Madrid in all competitions, while he has already netted 14 times in LaLiga this term.

"We are very happy, very happy. To win here like this is a great victory," Lewandowski told DAZN.

"The season is long, but this victory can help us with a lot more, with confidence and football. So far we haven't won anything, but the important thing is that we have a clear idea, we know where we want to go on."

Carlo Ancelotti said Real Madrid will not "throw everything in the trash" despite losing the first Clasico of the season 4-0 to a rampant Barcelona side at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Madrid suffered their first league defeat since September 2023 – when they went down 3-1 to Atletico Madrid – on Saturday, as Robert Lewandowski netted twice and was joined on the scoresheet by Lamine Yamal and Raphinha.

Los Blancos fell just short of equalling the longest unbeaten run in the history of LaLiga, a 43-match streak by Ernesto Valverde's Barcelona between 2017 and 2018.

They are now six points adrift of the Blaugrana at the top of LaLiga, but Ancelotti is choosing to remain calm, recalling that his side lost another Clasico by the same scoreline in their double-winning season of 2021-22.

"We don't have to throw everything in the trash, we have to forget the last 30 minutes," he said. 

"It does not reflect what happened on the field. We couldn't get ahead on the scoreboard and they took advantage. The game, until the first goal, was very even and we had more chances.

"We already lost 4-0 here to Barca and won LaLiga and the Champions League. We won't be far from last season." 

Madrid were continually caught out by Barca's high line, being caught offside eight times in the first half alone, with Kylian Mbappe being flagged eight times throughout the game.

Ancelotti said Madrid had chosen to target Barca's defence with balls in behind after watching them play a high line in Wednesday's Champions League win over Bayern Munich.

"It was known that they use the high line and we almost didn't take advantage of it. He had chances and sometimes he was offside," Ancelotti added of Mbappe.

"But we had three or four opportunities where they needed more success. I don't regret our approach. We did have opportunities. 

"It's a tough moment, as always when you lose. And even more so when you do it after so many games unbeaten."

Barcelona crushed rivals Real Madrid 4-0 in the first Clasico of the season to move six points clear at the top of LaLiga and halt Los Blancos' year-long unbeaten run.

Madrid entered Saturday's game hoping to equal the longest unbeaten run in LaLiga history – a streak of 43 games set by Ernesto Valverde's Barcelona between 2017 and 2018.

However, they were blown away in front of a stunned Santiago Bernabeu crowd as Robert Lewandowski scored twice in two second-half minutes, with Lamine Yamal and Raphinha later joining him on the scoresheet.

While Carlo Ancelotti's side slumped to their first league defeat since September 2023, Hansi Flick's Barca made a statement regarding their title aspirations, recording their 10th win in 11 games this campaign.

Madrid were on the front foot early on, though they were continually caught out by Barcelona's offside trap. Mbappe dragged one shot wide after going too early, then saw another shot clawed off the line by Inaki Pena before the flag went up again.

Mbappe broke clear to chip Pena on the half-hour mark, but his celebrations were short-lived as the flag went up once more. 

The momentum switched after half-time, though, and Barca made the breakthrough nine minutes after the restart as Lewandowski took in Marc Casado's pass before finishing low from the edge of the area.

Lewandowski had his second just over two minutes later, directing a wonderful header into the bottom-right corner after being picked out by Alejandro Balde.

Madrid desperately sought a response as Pena denied Mbappe with a one-on-one save, while Lewandowski missed two golden chances for a hat-trick, clipping the post with the goal gaping then blazing over from a tight angle.

But Barca did get their third when Raphinha sent Yamal racing into the box and the 17-year-old lashed his shot inside Lunin's near post.

And things got even better with six minutes to play as Raphinha got in on the act, dinking a shot over Lunin after latching onto Inigo Martinez's searching pass. 

A sky full of stars

Ahead of Saturday's game, each of Barca's last five head coaches had lost their first match in charge against Madrid (Xavi, Ronald Koeman, Quique Setien, Valverde and Luis Enrique), since Gerardo Martino oversaw a 2-1 win in his first Clasico in 2013.

However, Flick bucked that trend as Barca made it a perfect week, having also routed their boss' former club Bayern Munich 4-1 in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Lewandowski dragged them clear with his quickfire double, and he now has 10 goals in 16 career games against Madrid in all competitions, though these were his first strikes against them in LaLiga.

Yamal and Raphinha then added some gloss to the scoreline. The latter is one of just three players to register at least five goals and five assists in one of Europe's top five leagues this campaign (six goals, six assists).

The match stats were all in Barca's favour, painting the picture of a dominant display. The visitors had 15 shots to Madrid's nine, got seven of those on target and accumulated 2.45 expected goals (xG) to Los Blancos' 1.48.

Donning their Coldplay-sponsored kits, it really was a sensational Clasico display from Barca, who face Espanyol next as they bid to put further distance between themselves and the chasing pack.

Madrid caught out as unbeaten run ends

Having gone 42 games unbeaten in LaLiga since a 3-1 defeat to rivals Atletico Madrid last year, Madrid were chasing a slice of Spanish top-flight history on Saturday.

With bottom club Valencia up next for Ancelotti's men, this felt like the final real obstacle between them and the outright record unbeaten run in LaLiga. 

However, just like Bayern in midweek, Madrid continually struggled to spring Barcelona's aggressive offside trap, with Flick's bold out-of-possession approach paying off again.

Madrid were caught offside eight times in the first half – their joint most on record (since 2003-04) in a single LaLiga match, equalling their tally against Celta Vigo in March 2013.

Mbappe alone was caught offside eight times, the most by any player in a single game in Europe's top five leagues since Karim Benzema against Eibar in November 2018.

Hansi Flick hailed his "brilliant" Barcelona players as they look to further their advantage at the LaLiga summit against rivals Real Madrid on Saturday. 

Flick watched on as he helped his side end a run of six-straight Champions League defeats against Bayern Munich with a stunning 4-1 victory in midweek. 

Barcelona are now unbeaten in their last four games in all competitions, scoring 17 goals in those matches, but they face a stern test at the Bernabeu to keep that run going.

Los Blancos produced an equally impressive Champions League display, coming from two goals down to beat Borussia Dortmund 5-2, inspired by Vinicius Junior's hat-trick.

Flick will be managing his first competitive game as a coach against Real Madrid, and has been impressed with his side's ability to understand his way of playing.

"We have our ideas. Our philosophy is to press high and make it hard for the opponent to play out. Too much space between the lines doesn't work for us," Flick said.

"The players are brilliant and continue to adapt from game to game.

"The changes have worked, I believe in the team, they have so much quality and that’s what we want to see."

Flick will also be looking to become the first Barcelona coach since Gerardo Martino in 2013 to win their first official Clasico. 

The Barcelona coach also heaped praise on Lamine Yamal for his performances this season, with the 17-year-old preparing for his fourth Clasico against Real Madrid. 

Yamal made his 10th start in the Champions League in Barca's win over Bayern, becoming the youngest player at the time of doing so in the competition’s history (17y 102d).

He has also impressed in LaLiga this term, notching 10 goal involvements (four goals, six assists), a total only bettered by Robert Lewandowski (14) in the division.

"Specifically for the game against Bayern I wanted him to do one thing among many that he needed to do, which was to press (Alphonso) Davies from the last line into midfield because we knew how important he was when he started to attack," Flick said.

"Yamal is a fantastic player with the ball, you could all appreciate that against Bayern.

"It’s an honour to see what Lamine did for all of us and it’s important that he can improve as a defender. And he’s doing that very well."

Carlo Ancelotti said he has the utmost respect for Barcelona, but he does not fear the LaLiga leaders, who they meet in Saturday's Clasico.

Barcelona currently have a three-point lead at the top of the table, having won all but one of their 10 matches. 

But Madrid are unbeaten in the league this campaign and are in fact on the cusp of history. They are one game away from matching the longest unbeaten run in the history of LaLiga, recorded by Ernesto Valverde's Barca (43) between 2017 and 2018.

They have won 31 and drawn 11 of the matches in that timeframe, with their last league defeat coming against rivals Atletico Madrid on September 25 last year.

And Ancelotti, who pointed out that Madrid are the reigning champions in Spain, said his team will not be intimidated by the task ahead of them.

"Fortunately, at the moment nobody keeps me awake at night," Ancelotti told a press conference on Friday.

"[Barcelona] are doing very well. But in a match like the Clasico, it's very difficult to pick a favourite beforehand. It depends on the dynamics of the match. It's a matter of how you are able to handle the pressure, to deal with the tempo and how to identify the moments of the match...

"Barca have a very clear idea of how they play the game, they are performing very well. They are a very brave team, and we need to prepare well for the game and try to play our best version."

Barca travel to Madrid on the back of a 4-1 Champions League win over Bayern Munich on Wednesday, maintaining Flick's outstanding start with 11 wins from 13 matches in all competitions.

Madrid, however, have come under moderate criticism from pundits about starting their games slowly, raising questions about their motivation after winning both the LaLiga and Champions League titles last season.

The latest example was in their Champions League clash against Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday, when they had to fight back from two goals down after a dismal first half, only to score five goals after the break, with Vinicius Junior netting a hat-trick.

Ancelotti is not worried about his players' mindset, though, and believes they will be ready from the start due to the seriousness of their rivalry.

"Usually, in this style of match, you don't have to talk as much beforehand... The idea is to define a very clear, very simple strategy... and nothing else," Ancelotti added.

"It's not a type of match where you have to give big speeches. Playing like we did in the second half against Dortmund for 90 minutes is impossible, but that should be our starting point, what we will try to achieve. I think we did a lot of things right.

"We will prepare the game to do the right things with and without the ball. We have to play a complete game to win, and we will try to do that."

With a respective seven and four-point gap having already developed between first and second and their nearest challengers, Barcelona and Real Madrid look likely to go head-to-head to rule LaLiga once again this season.

After the two sides lit up the Champions League in midweek – Madrid recovering to beat Borussia Dortmund 5-2, while Barcelona trounced Bayern Munich 4-1 – Saturday's Clasico is the must-watch fixture in the European calendar this week.

Hansi Flick's side lead the way with nine wins from his first 10 league games in charge, while Madrid have one of two unbeaten records remaining in the division, alongside neighbours Atletico Madrid.

Carlo Ancelotti's reigning Spanish and European champions have an opportunity not only to knock Barca off the top this weekend, but to earn a slice of history.

They are one game away from matching the longest unbeaten run in the history of LaLiga, recorded by Ernesto Valverde's Barcelona (43) between 2017 and 2018.

Can Los Blancos match their great rivals' feat at the Santiago Bernabeu? Here, we dive into the Opta data to preview the first Clasico of the campaign.

 What's expected? 

Despite Barcelona making a flying start to Flick's reign, it is Madrid who are made favourites by the Opta supercomputer at home.

Ancelotti's team were victorious in 56% of the 10,000 match simulations conducted by the supercomputer, with Barca winning 21.3% and 22.7% finishing all square. 

Madrid have an excellent record versus Barca lately, winning each of their last four matches against them in all competitions. They could now record five straight victories in El Clasico for just the second time in the last 59 years, having done so between 2020 and 2022.

Ancelotti, meanwhile, could become just the third coach to win five or more successive Clasicos in the history of the fixture, after Miguel Munoz between 1962 and 1965 (seven) and Pep Guardiola between 2008 and 2010 (five).

Jude Bellingham struck dramatic winners in both league fixtures between these great rivals last season – a 2-1 triumph in Catalonia last October and a 3-2 victory in Madrid in April.

On their own turf, Madrid have won four of their last five meetings with Barca (one defeat), winning each of their last two.

They have not won three straight home Clasicos in the competition since they enjoyed a run of four consecutive wins between 1988 and 1991, a period in which they won LaLiga three times in four campaigns. 

History beckons for Los Blancos

Incredibly, Madrid have not been beaten in league action since September 25 last year, when they went down 3-1 to rivals Atletico.

Their unbeaten run in LaLiga now stands at 42 matches, with 31 wins and 11 draws in that timeframe. 

Saturday's game offers them the chance to draw level with the mark brought up by Valverde's Barca between April 2017 and May 2018 (34 wins, nine draws). With bottom club Valencia their next opponents after this match, they have a great opportunity to snatch that record outright.

While last season's Clasico hero Bellingham is yet to score in LaLiga this term and has only provided one assist in his six appearances, Madrid have another player with a knack of breaking Barca hearts.

Vinicius Junior has been involved in seven goals in his last four games in El Clasico in all competitions, scoring five goals and laying on two assists.

In total, the Real Madrid forward has scored seven goals in 17 games against Barcelona. They are his second-best goalscoring opponent after Valencia (eight goals).

Vinicius also got Los Blancos' winner as they overcame Celta Vigo 2-1 in their last league game on Saturday, then scored a wonderful hat-trick in Tuesday's comeback victory over Dortmund, taking him to 35 goal involvements (20 goals, 15 assists) in his last 35 Champions League starts.

With the Brazilian dovetailing with Bellingham, Rodrygo and Kylian Mbappe, Madrid have the firepower to halt Barca's brilliant start to life under Flick, and seal their own place in the record books in the process.

Major test for Flick

Flick could hardly have wished for a better start to his tenure at Barca, with a 4-2 defeat at Osasuna last month the only blot on his record in LaLiga. 

Last week's 5-0 rout of Sevilla also took the Blaugrana to 33 goals in 10 league games under Flick. Only Zinedine Zidane has enjoyed a more prolific start through 10 games as a manager in LaLiga this century (34).

Three of the nine players in the big five European Leagues to be involved in 10 or more goals this season, meanwhile, represent Barcelona: Robert Lewandowski (12 goals, two assists), Lamine Yamal (four goals, six assists) and Raphinha (five goals, five assists). 

Only three players from those five leagues have at least five goals and five assists this term: Mohamed Salah (five goals, five assists with Liverpool), Cole Palmer (six goals, five assists with Chelsea) and Raphinha.

Flick got one over on his former club in style on Wednesday, with Raphinha's hat-trick helping them end a run of six straight Champions League meetings with Bayern.

If that result was not enough of a statement, Barcelona achieved it with a youthful starting XI with an average age of 24 years and 185 days, their youngest lineup for a Champions League match since December 2011 versus BATE Borisov (23 years, 93 days).

A trip to the Bernabeu, however, will surely represent Flick's toughest test to date.

Each of the last five Barcelona coaches – Xavi, Ronald Koeman, Quique Setien, Valverde and Luis Enrique – have lost their first competitive Clasico, with Gerardo Martino the last to oversee a victory in his first one (2-1 in 2013). If Flick can buck that trend, it will be advantage Barca in the title race.

PLAYERS TO WATCH 

Real Madrid – Vinicius Junior

As well as having a fine record in Clasico matches, Vinicius has also been involved in at least one goal in each of his last six matches in LaLiga (four goals, three assists), netting the winner at Celta Vigo last weekend.

The Brazilian is widely considered the favourite to win the Ballon d'Or and last time out against Dortmund, led all players on the pitch for xG (1.26), shots (seven), shots on target (four) and dribbles completed (six), also creating two chances and contesting a joint-high 16 duels.

Barcelona – Lamine Yamal 

While Raphinha stole the headlines against Bayern in midweek, his fellow winger Yamal also shone, recording an assist as he became the youngest player to make 10 Champions League starts, aged 17 years and 102 days.

He already has six assists in LaLiga this season, becoming the first Barca player to reach that figure within the opening 10 matchdays since Lionel Messi in 2014-15 (seven).

Enzo Maresca has confirmed it is "not possible" for Chelsea to use Josh Acheampong while the Real Madrid-linked defender refuses to sign a new contract.

The highly rated 18-year-old is under contract at Chelsea only until the end of next season, and a number of leading clubs, including European champions Madrid, are said to be interested in prising him away from Stamford Bridge.

Acheampong has so far played only twice for Chelsea, making his Premier League debut against Tottenham in May before appearing in last month's EFL Cup win against Barrow.

But reports this week revealed Acheampong would not appear again for the Blues until his future was resolved.

For head coach Maresca, who had hoped to use the academy graduate in Thursday's Conference League clash with Panathinaikos, it is a blow.

"I feel a bit of shame for Josh because this kind of game is an opportunity for him," said Maresca.

"I had a chat with him personally, about three weeks ago, about his situation. The chat we had was very good, positive, but I haven't spoken with him since.

"It is a shame because I really think he is potentially a top player.

"The first thing we need to do is to find a solution for his contract, for his future. It's a bad situation for him at the moment. I don't know if the people are helping him or not.

"I really like Josh and I would like to have him here with us, but it is not possible."

Goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen will play in Greece, Maresca said, while forwards Mykhailo Mudryk and Joao Felix also hope to feature.

"Similar to Joao, [Mudryk] is doing well, but in this moment there are more players that are doing well," Maresca explained. "It is important for him and the rest that when they get the chance, they take it."