Barcelona and Real Madrid will meet at Camp Nou tomorrow night in one of the most anticipated El Clasico clashes of the season.

Barcelona lead La Liga with 27 points from nine matches, while Real Madrid sit third with 21 points from the same number of games. A defeat for Madrid would leave them nine points behind their biggest rivals.

That gives Hansi Flick an opportunity to create significant separation at the top, while Real Madrid face the challenge of avoiding a major setback in the title race.

Ahead of the showdown, five major questions are dominating the football conversation.

Will Mourinho’s Old Competitive Edge Return?

Football can sometimes create remarkable circles. Jose Mourinho once worked as an assistant coach at Barcelona before eventually becoming one of the club’s biggest rivals during his time in charge of Real Madrid.

The infamous 2011 Spanish Super Cup incident involving Mourinho and Barcelona assistant coach Tito Vilanova remains one of the most controversial moments in El Clasico history.

Mourinho may have changed with age, but the question remains: will his old intensity return for another high-pressure Clasico?

During his first spell at Real Madrid, Mourinho managed 17 Clasicos, recording five wins, six draws and six defeats. Before leaving the club in 2013, his side had gone unbeaten in five consecutive Clasicos.

Now he has the opportunity to extend that run to six.

Only Miguel Muñoz and Vicente del Bosque had previously gone six consecutive Clasicos unbeaten as Real Madrid coaches.

Hansi Flick, meanwhile, has an extraordinary record of his own: six wins in seven Clasicos.

The battle between the two coaches will therefore be about more than tactics. Experience, personality and game management could all play decisive roles.

Can Raphinha Hold the Key?

Statistics can sometimes provide clues about what may happen in football, and Raphinha’s record against Real Madrid is particularly striking.

Barcelona have won all six of the most recent Clasicos in which the Brazilian winger has played. Raphinha has scored seven goals and provided three assists across those matches.

He has also been in outstanding form this season. Across all competitions, he has scored 14 goals in 10 matches. In La Liga, he has 12 goals in eight appearances and leads the scoring charts.

Raphinha recently returned from injury against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League. Barcelona lost that match, but the result did not appear to affect his confidence ahead of the Clasico.

If Raphinha produces another influential performance against Madrid, Barcelona’s attacking threat could become extremely difficult to contain.

Will Camp Nou Become a Nightmare for Madrid?

Barcelona have been exceptionally strong at home. They have won 23 consecutive La Liga matches at their own stadium.

Last season, they won all 19 of their league home matches. They have also won each of their first four home league games this season.

Barcelona have scored 22 goals in five home matches this campaign—more than four per game.

Real Madrid, meanwhile, have shown some inconsistency away from home. In their last four league away games, they have recorded two wins and two defeats.

Their defeats came against Real Betis and Atletico Madrid, while they beat Espanyol and Elche.

History, however, offers Madrid some encouragement. They have won three of their last six league visits to Barcelona. They had also won three of the previous 16 league meetings at Barcelona’s home ground.

Camp Nou may be Barcelona’s fortress, but Madrid have shown they can win there.

Will Real Madrid Miss Vinicius?

Losing a key player before a major match is always a concern. Real Madrid will be without Vinicius Junior due to suspension.

However, Madrid still have plenty of attacking options. Yan Diomande could be given the responsibility of filling the void.

All three of Madrid’s goals against Sevilla came from attacks down the left side. Diomande has also demonstrated his ability by contributing goals and assists against Sevilla and Leipzig.

Replacing Vinicius’ pace, dribbling and big-game influence will not be straightforward, though. Diomande’s performance could therefore become one of the key factors in the match.

Is Barcelona’s Defence Really Safe?

Barcelona’s attack has been prolific, scoring 50 goals in 12 matches. Before their 4–2 defeat against PSG, they had won 11 consecutive games.

But PSG also exposed some weaknesses in Barcelona’s aggressive approach.

Flick’s high press has helped Barcelona restrict opponents to an average of just 6.8 shots per La Liga match, the best figure in the league.

There is another side to the statistics, however. The expected-goals value per opposition shot against Barcelona is reportedly the highest in the league. In other words, while Barcelona do not allow many attempts, the chances they concede tend to carry a relatively high scoring probability.

Barcelona will also be without Jules Kounde because of injury.

That raises another major question: can Kylian Mbappe and Yan Diomande exploit any gaps left by Barcelona’s high defensive line?

The answers will come on the pitch. And those answers could determine whether the El Clasico makes the La Liga title race even tighter—or gives Barcelona an even stronger position at the top.