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TV pundit Alexander Grigoryan compared the performance of Real Madrid and Barcelona in the opening matches of the Spanish championship. In the first round of La Liga, the "blue and pomegranates" defeated Mallorca (3:0) away on August 16, while the Madrid team defeated Osasuna 1:0 at home on August 19, thanks to a goal scored from the penalty spot by Kylian Mbappe.
"It is clear that Barcelona is in a better position at the beginning of the championship. They reached the highest peak of their game two months after Flick's work. This suggests that there is "chemistry". Players are not only selected based on their star status, but also match their style. Their speed of play is different from Real Madrid. Madrid has Mbappe, Bellingham, Vinicius, but Barca's speed is higher. In the center, Pedri and De Jong are the two players who move the ball the most. This is if Rafinha and Yamal are alive. In terms of the quality of interaction, they surpass their Real counterparts," Grigoryan said on Match TV.
In the summer of 2025, Real Madrid changed their head coach: the "creamy" were led by the club's former midfielder and former Bayer Leverkusen head coach Xabi Alonso. Since May 2024, Barcelona has been coached by German Hans-Dieter Flick, who led the Catalans to the championship title in the 2024/2025 season.