Mourinho faces fresh El Clasico test as Real Madrid chase Barcelona

Jose Mourinho will take charge of his 18th El Clasico as Real Madrid manager when his side face table-topping Barcelona at Camp Nou on Wednesday.

The 63-year-old Portuguese returned to the Madrid job in July and goes into his first meeting with Barcelona since rejoining the club under significant pressure. Real are third in LaLiga, six points behind their rivals, with Mourinho needing to prevent that gap from widening.

“The Clasico is just another game in the championship, but to say it’s a game like any other would be to lie; it’s totally unreal,” Mourinho said.

His record against Barcelona as Real Madrid manager stands at five wins, six draws and six defeats. He has won twice at Camp Nou during his time in charge of the Spanish club.

Florentino Perez originally appointed Mourinho in 2010 as Real’s answer to Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona. The Madrid president will now hope the Portuguese can deliver a second LaLiga title during his tenure and bring the trophy back to the Bernabeu.

Mourinho’s first spell featured some of the most contentious Clasico meetings of the modern era, ensuring that attention will be fixed on his every movement on the touchline. Kick-off is at 10pm SA time.

Real showing signs of recovery

A victory over Barcelona could prove an important moment for Mourinho’s second spell, which began with two defeats in Real’s first nine LaLiga matches and regular whistles from their own supporters at home.

Real have responded strongly since losing to city rivals Atletico last month. They have won their following four matches, with two victories in LaLiga and two in the Champions League, suggesting Mourinho’s team is beginning to adopt his methods.

They also appear capable of coping without Vinicius Junior, who is suspended after pulling the hair of Villarreal’s Nathan Saliba.

Yann Diomande, Cote d’Ivoire’s 19-year-old forward, eased concerns over Vinicius’ absence with a powerful volley in Wednesday’s Champions League victory over RB Leipzig.

The match also brings together two of the leading contenders for the Ballon d’Or, which will be awarded tomorrow night, in Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappe.

New players enter historic rivalry

As many as 14 players could make their El Clasico debuts, highlighting the changes to both squads since last season.

Real Madrid and Barcelona each made six signings during the close season, while Barcelona have also promoted two players from their academy to the senior team.

One of the newcomers is Gabriel Jesus, who joined Barcelona from Arsenal in September. The Brazilian said the fixture ranked among the biggest in world football before appearing in his first meeting between the clubs.

“It really is a dream to play in the Clasico for the first time. I’ve never made a secret of my desire to one day wear the Barcelona shirt, and that goal includes playing in El Clasico,” he said.

Jesus has faced Real before, scoring three times in four matches for Manchester City, including in memorable Champions League meetings and at the Bernabeu.

The 29-year-old, who grew up 8,797km away in Sao Paulo, could play alongside Barcelona academy graduate Xavi Espart, who was born in the city.

Espart is one of nine academy graduates in Barcelona’s squad and described the significance of the contest in both the title race and the rivalry.

“The truth is, it’s going to be a war. We will go all out; it’s [the] Clasico,” he told DAZN.

“You always have to give 100%, now we have the chance to extend our lead and we’ll fight to the death.”