Real Madrid will face Barcelona on Sunday evening at Spotify Camp Nou in the 35th round of La Liga, entering the match as visitors with high stakes. Barcelona enters the clash aiming to seal the league title mathematically, as a draw would be enough to secure the championship given their 11-point lead over second-placed Real Madrid.
The Real Madrid delegation arrived in Barcelona ahead of the highly anticipated El Clasico, heading directly to their accommodation to rest before the match. The team bus reached the Intercontinental Hotel amid significant media attention and notable fan presence, as reported by Barcelona-leaning newspaper Mundo Deportivo.
Approximately 200 Real Madrid supporters gathered near the hotel to greet the players and coaching staff led by Álvaro Arbeloa, seeking to boost the team’s morale before the decisive encounter against their traditional rivals.
However, the atmosphere surrounding the team’s arrival reflected the tension plaguing Real Madrid in recent days, especially after a week filled with internal disputes and crises, notably the conflict involving Aurélien Tchouaméni and Federico Valverde. Frowns and signs of worry were visible on the faces of players and coaching staff, including Arbeloa himself, illustrating the immense pressure before the Clasico. No one in the Madrid camp managed to hide the stress during this critical phase of the season.
Silence and sorrowful expressions dominated the moment players entered the hotel, with smiles absent and quick entries into the residence—a clear indicator of the strained atmosphere within the Madrid camp amid declining results and rising criticism lately.
Arbeloa, Vinícius Júnior, and Jude Bellingham received the most interaction from Real Madrid fans present outside the hotel, while it was notably rare to see supporters wearing Kylian Mbappé’s shirt. The absence of the French star from the trip to Barcelona was a major surprise, as it became clear in the final moments that he would not be part of the traveling squad for the Clasico.