Real Madrid: Ancelotti has recently opted to strengthen his midfield, going for a quartet in the middle of the park rather than a more lightweight trio. Two of Aurélien Tchouaméni, Camavinga and Modrić will accompany Federico Valverde and Bellingham. Valverde is arguably Madrid''s player of the season so far, doing his best to fill the retired Kroos'' boots, while Bellingham hasn''t scored for his club since May... Could that change on Saturday? The weak link is Tchouaméni, who often looks uncomfortable in possession. -- Kirkland
Barcelona: Injuries have disrupted Barça''s midfield this season. Gavi, Frenkie de Jong, Olmo, FermÃn López and Marc Bernal have all missed large parts of the campaign. Gavi, De Jong, Olmo and López are all available again, but the Blaugrana are likely to stick with Marc Casadó, who has done brilliantly since being promoted from the B team, and Pedri. The question is which of those returning players, if any, are fit enough to accompany them from the start. If the answer is none, the other options are Raphinha in the No. 10 role, or the inexperienced Pablo Torre. -- Marsden
Edge: Barça
Attack
Real Madrid: VinÃcius and Mbappé need no introduction. The pair are lethal in front of goal -- both scoring at Celta on Saturday, with a total of 11 league goals between them -- even if they aren''t the most obvious duo, sharing many characteristics. Their weakness is a shared reluctance to track back, more pronounced in Mbappé''s case, and the knock-on effect of that on the team''s overall solidity. But their quality on the ball is undeniable and, with Rodrygo ruled out, they will need to step up. -- Kirkland
Barcelona: Flick has the Barça front line purring. Lewandowski, whom he previously worked with at Bayern, has been the big benefactor of the team''s improvement in the final third. The veteran striker is getting the ball in more central areas in the final third and has netted 12 times in 10 league games. Yamal from the right and Raphinha, either from the left or centrally, have also been brilliant. No-one has more goal contributions in LaLiga than the trio: Lewandowski leads the way with 14, followed by Raphinha and Yamal, who have 10 each. The case could be made that they have been the best front three in Europe so far this season. -- Marsden
Edge: Barça
Coaches
Real Madrid: Ancelotti has struggled to find exactly the right formula so far this season to get Madrid firing on all cylinders, but you wouldn''t bet against him getting there eventually. The Italian has vast experience, has won it all, and knows all about this fixture, having coached Madrid in 11 Clásicos over two spells. He''s prone to the occasional high-profile Clásico gamble -- think Sergio Ramos playing in midfield in 2013, or Modrić as a false No. 9 in 2022 -- but they''re rare. -- Kirkland
Barcelona: Flick has quickly made his mark on this Barça side. They press well, create chances quickly when they win the ball back and defend with a really high line. He has improved the output of players who struggled at times last season, including Lewandowski and Raphinha, and has trusted in youth when faced with a lengthy injury list. He can almost do no wrong at the moment, but that can quickly change if he doesn''t get things right in the Clásico.-- Marsden
Edge: Madrid
Key clashes
Kylian Mbappé vs. Pau CubarsÃ: CubarsÃ, 17, is a precociously talented defender, but Mbappé is getting better game by game -- Ancelotti says he''s looked "a different player" after resting over the international break -- and will relish the space he should find in behind Barcelona''s defence. Madrid tend to struggle when faced with a deep block, but such an approach would represent a radical shift for Flick''s Barça, who favour a high line. If they stick to that philosophy, Mbappé will enjoy himself. -- Kirkland
Lamine Yamal vs. Ferland Mendy: It will be interesting to see how Barça attack Vázquez at right-back, either through Raphinha staying wide or Balde pushing up, but the most fascinating battle comes on the other side. He may only be 17, but so many Barça games are being determined by Yamal already. Either teams overcommit men to mark him, leaving space for the other attackers, or he produces a moment of magic. Mendy, on his day, is a fine defender, so it promises to be an absorbing contest. -- Marsden
Clásico predictions
Real Madrid 3-2 Barcelona. Yes, Barça have been the best team in LaLiga this season, but Flick''s kids haven''t come up against a forward line with the pace and goal threat of Mbappé and VinÃcius. Expect an end-to-end, entertaining game, with both teams on the front foot. I think that will favour Madrid, but it should be fun either way, with lots of goals. -- Kirkland
Real Madrid 2-2 Barcelona. Famous last words, perhaps, but I agree it will be entertaining. Flick insists he won''t change his ideas too much, which should mean plenty of attacking and a high line. That would lead to chances and goals at both ends.-- Marsden
Betting odds
Real Madrid +105, Barcelona +220, Draw +290 (at time of publication)
-- ESPN BET