Welcome to the Weekly Clásico, a weekly column that predicts and previews the key matches for the upcoming La Liga and Liga MX matchweeks.
La Liga: Real Madrid v. Villarreal
Second-place Real Madrid is coming off an embarrassing loss to cross-city rival Atlético Madrid, who put a whopping five goals past Los Blancos last weekend.
However, Real Madrid bounced back in the midweek, putting up five goals and a clean sheet in their second Champions League match of the season.
The bright spot for Los Blancos thus far is forward Kylian Mbappé. The French forward has scored in eight straight matches and has been involved in 17 goals so far this season across all competitions.
As for Villarreal, they needed a stoppage-time equalizer to draw with Italian giant Juventus in their most recent fixture. Late goal production has been the story for this Spanish side recently, as they have won each of their last three domestic league matches with a winning goal that has occurred past the 75th-minute mark.
Real Madrid have been able to score in the opening 30 minutes in each of their last six matches, and given Villarreal’s inability to score first-half goals, Real Madrid should be able to put the match out of reach by the end of the opening half.
Prediction: Real Madrid 4-2 Villarreal
La Liga: FC Barcelona v. Sevilla
In a trap game for first-place Barcelona, Sevilla’s recent form has set them up for an upset.
The Spanish giants lost 2-1 to an injury-ridden Paris Saint-Germain — missing all three starting attackers, including recent Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembélé — on Wednesday. PSG were also without their star center-back and captain, Marquinhos, who was ruled out of the match with a thigh issue.
Barcelona’s struggles against the French side put into question whether or not they can continue their flawless La Liga run so far.
Sevilla are currently ninth in the La Liga table, with inconsistency being their main issue. In their last five matches, they have won three, drawn once and lost once.
Both sides are possession-oriented squads, as Sevilla averages a 53% possession rate, while Barcelona averages 71%, the highest in La Liga clubs.
Barcelona’s shocking defeat to PSG on Wednesday will carry weight into this weekend’s match. The Spanish side was favored going into the Champions League match. This could be in part due to Barcelona taking players off the injured list, while PSG added their main attacking trio just hours before kickoff.
Barcelona’s star winger, Lamine Yamal, had just returned from injury and didn’t look like his usual self. It’ll take some time for the Spanish international to return to form and for this Barcelona side to fully recover from a loss many weren’t expecting.
Going into the weekend, this current Barcelona team might need another match to regain its footing, both in terms of fitness and recovery from a disappointing result on Wednesday.
Prediction: FC Barcelona 1-1 Sevilla
Liga MX: Cruz Azul v. Tigres
Fifth-place Tigres are coming off a 2-0 win against bottom-of-the-table Querétaro, their second consecutive win. Tigres have not lost a match since their 2-1 defeat to MLS side Inter Miami in the Leagues Cup quarter-final back in August, and have found consistency when it comes to getting points from every match.
Last week, Cruz Azul suffered a shocking 2-0 loss to Club Tijuana in a match where Cruz Azul defender Jorge Rodarte was controversially sent off in just the fifth minute. It was evident that the straight red card impacted the side’s play for the duration of the match, and missing a core part of their defense gave Tijuana more opportunities than Cruz Azul would have liked.
Earlier this week, the Liga MX’s Disciplinary Commission reviewed the red card and determined that the young defender’s expulsion was incorrect, meaning Rodarte will likely play against Tigres.
Rodarte now has less time to prepare for this match, meaning Tigres will likely build on their win from last weekend and come out of this one with three more points.
Prediction: Cruz Azul 1-2 Tigres
Liga MX: Guadalajara v. Pumas
A matchup between Pumas and Guadalajara — two of Liga MX’s “Big Four” — will headline next week’s matches.
Guadalajara has started to turn its season around. The side has won three of their last five, including a huge 2-1 win against rival Club América, in what was the most surprising match of the Apertura season thus far.
Pumas, on the other hand, have not been in great form as of late. They have conceded seven goals in their past two matches, including a 4-1 defeat in their most recent outing against Club América. At the end of the match, Pumas head coach Efraín Juárez was sent off and will serve a match suspension.
Additionally, Pumas striker, Guillermo Martínez, is expected to undergo surgery on his fifth metatarsal, meaning he will miss the remainder of the Apertura 2025 tournament. Martínez’s absence gives Pumas one less option up front during a time when goals are already hard to come by.
The two sides are trending in opposite directions: one coming off a loss, and without their starting striker and head coach, while the other has won two consecutive matches, climbing from the bottom of the table to a playoff play-in spot.
Given who won’t be available for Pumas when they face Guadalajara, expect the latter team to notch their third win in a row and continue to move further up the table.
Prediction: Guadalajara 3-1 Pumas
For Liga MX, the Apertura 2025 tournament is wrapping up, as we head into the final seven matches of the regular season. This means that for clubs like Pumas or Guadalajara, every match matters. Points earned at this stage in the season could be the deciding factor between playoffs or a shift of focus to the Clausura tournament.
As for La Liga, the question looms whether or not Barcelona’s loss on Wednesday will carry into a further dip in form at the weekend. Real Madrid and Villarreal are only separated by two points in the table. Depending on the result of their matchup, Villarreal may move up the tableits or remain within the top four positions. Real Madrid may risk trending down the league table, or potentially overtake the top spot.