El Clasico: Grading Real Madrid’s and Barcelona’s summer transfers with Marcus Rashford earning high marks
On Sunday, Real Madrid will host Barcelona for the first El Clasico of the season, one of the most anticipated and dramatic clashes in the world. Both sides have started off strongly, as the team now coached by Xabi Alonso is leading the LaLiga standings with a two-point margin on Barcelona. In the summer of 2025, while Hansi Flick’s side focused on refining the squad already at their disposal, Real Madrid underwent major changes…
How to Watch Real Madrid vs. Barcelona, Odds
- Date: Sunday, Oct. 26 | Time: 3 p.m. ET
- Location: Estadio Santiago Bernabeu – Madrid, Spain
- Live stream: ESPN+
- Odds: Real Madrid +101; Draw +303; Barcelona +216
Trent Alexander-Arnold, Real Madrid
When Real Madrid signed Trent Alexander-Arnold from Liverpool ahead of the Club World Cup this summer, the general idea was that Xabi Alonso could count on an experienced player for key matches. However, it turned out that this isn’t the case, at least for now. The Real Madrid defender had to face a muscular injury that is preventing him from playing since Sept. 16, and the coach is currently opting to play Federico Valverde when Dani Carvajal is not available…
Grade: C-
Alvaro Carreras, Real Madrid
When Real Madrid signed Alvaro Carreras from Benfica this summer for $50 million, there was some skepticism around what he could bring in the short term to this club, but he immediately proved all wrong. Carreras is the kind of player that Real Madrid needed…
Grade: B
Dean Huijsen, Real Madrid
The former Juventus defender immediately showed his value since he joined this summer from Bournemouth…
Grade: A-
Franco Mastantuono, Real Madrid
Franco Mastantuono joined this summer from River Plate for around $40 million, and he’s considered one of the top talents in world soccer…
Grade: A-
Marcus Rashford, Barcelona
The big surprise of this 2025-26 season…
Grade: A
Joan Garcia, Barcelona
Barcelona had a quiet, slow summer but decided to invest big in the new goalkeeper…
Grade: B
Roony Bardghji, Barcelona
The signing of Roony Bardghji was a mystery for many this summer, but he’s slowly turning out to be an important resource for Flick…
Grade: B
