The European clubs are currently busy playing pre-season friendlies in order to be well-prepared for the upcoming 2022–2023 season. Two Spanish giants, Real Madrid CF and FC Barcelona will meet each other for a friendly match on Sunday (July 24) at the USA’s Allegiant Stadium. The Barcelona vs Real Madrid 2022 friendly match is scheduled to start at 9 a.m. (Bangladesh Standard Time). Despite the fact that this El Clasico is a friendly game, football fans all around the world have no shortage of interest. The pre-season el clasico match preview between Real Madrid and Barcelona is discussed in this article.

2022 Real Madrid vs Barcelona: Pre-season match prediction

Real Madrid surprised everyone by winning the UEFA Champions League in 2021–2022 despite starting the campaign as hot favourites. Carlo Ancelotti is pretty confident with his current squad and Madrid have made only two signings this summer. They are unlikely to make any more signings before the transfer deadline.

Last season, Carlo Ancelotti preferred a 4-3-3 formation, and they were successful playing with this tactic. Karim Benzema played a huge part in Ancelotti’s tactics. Madrid might not have won the Champions League and La Liga if Benzema hadn't been there. It will therefore be interesting to see how Real Madrid perform if Benzema gets injured in the middle of next season. For Sunday’s clash, Real Madrid will likely play the same system they played last season.

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Madrid’s arch-rivals, Barcelona, had a tough 2021–2022 season, but they made a remarkable turnaround in the second-half and finished the season second, 13 points behind champion Real Madrid. Barcelona have gone through a difficult financial situation in recent seasons.

The La Liga authorities have put an embargo on their salary structure. As a result, Barcelona must make some deals that go against their club spirit in order to improve their current financial situation. Barcelona are able to sign big names this season thanks to their recent financial deals.

Barcelona’s preferred formation is 4-3-3, and Xavi has some quality options upfront and in the midfield to pick his best three players in each area. The signing of Andreas Christensen has bolstered their defense line. Xavi is most likely to field his best players in this Barcelona vs Real Madrid 2022 friendly contest as winning el clasico before the upcoming season will boost the confidence among the players.

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Prediction: Barcelona 2-2 Real Madrid     

FC Barcelona vs Real Madrid CF: Probable Team Lineups

Real Madrid have already made two very important signings this season to strengthen their squad. They have signed free agent defender Antonio Rudiger to a four-year deal and also bought talented defensive midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni from Monaco for a reported fee of around 100 million euros. These two will likely start for Real Madrid against Barcelona. However, head coach Carlos Ancelotti may pick any player from the squad as this is a friendly contest.

Predicted Starting XI (Real Madrid)

Goalkeeper: Thibaut Courtois; 

Defenders: Dani Carvajal, Eder Militao, Antonio Rudiger, David Alaba; 

Midfielders: Aurelien Tchouameni, Casemiro, Toni Kroos; 

Forwards: Rodrygo, Karim Benzema, Vinicius Junior

Two of Barcelona’s biggest signings of this summer transfer window, Robert Lewandowski from Bayern Munich and Raphinha from Leeds United, are likely to start in Sunday’s match against Real Madrid. Besides, head coach Xavi may give some young talents a chance in the match to showcase their abilities.

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Predicted Starting XI (Barcelona)

Goalkeeper: Marc-Andre ter Stegen; 

Defenders: Sergino Dest, Ronald Araujo, Andreas Christensen, Jordi Alba; 

Midfielders: Gavi, Sergio Busquets, Pedri; 

Forwards: Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski, Ferran Torres

Verdict

Barcelona and Real Madrid are two of the biggest teams in European club football. Fans always look forward to watching this fixture whenever they meet each other, be it in domestic competitions or friendlies. Sunday’s Barcelona vs Real Madrid 2022 pre-season el clasico will be no exception. The possibility of seeing two of the world's top strikers, Robert Lewandowski of Barcelona and Karim Benzema of Real Madrid, face off against one another makes the match even more intriguing. 

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