Big Blow for Real Madrid Before El Clasico: Courtois Unavailable at Camp Nou

Real Madrid have suffered a big blow ahead of the season's first El Clasico. In tonight's showdown against Barcelona at Camp Nou, the Madrid side will be without their first-choice goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. For a Real side already trailing in the title race, the absence adds further pressure.

The first El Clasico of this La Liga season takes place at Barcelona's Camp Nou, kicking off at 1:00 a.m. Bangladesh time on Sunday night. Excitement around the clash between world football's two eternal rivals is at its peak.

The points table says the pressure is greater on Real. Barcelona have won all of their first nine league matches; Hansi Flick's side, top with a perfect 27 points, are chasing a third straight league title. Real, by contrast, are six points behind their rivals after defeats to Real Betis and Atletico Madrid.

Missing a goalkeeper as experienced and reliable as Courtois in such a match is a major gap in Real's defensive plans. The Belgian's saves have rescued Madrid many times in big matches; without him, guarding Real's goal against Barcelona's storming attack becomes even harder.

Barcelona's attacking form adds to that pressure. Spanish winger Lamine Yamal, already the main force of the team's attack at just 19, has scored 8 goals in the first nine league matches. All eyes in the two attacks will be on Yamal and Kylian Mbappe.

Real, however, have shown signs of a turnaround in recent form. Since the international break they have won four straight matches in all competitions, beating Villarreal and Sevilla in the league and Roma and RB Leipzig in the Champions League, scoring four goals in each of their last three games.

Real coach Jose Mourinho says previous results count for little in a Clasico. "There are many other important matches in the world, but there is only one Clasico; when it comes, it is as if the whole world stops," he said. Back in the Real dugout for a second spell, Barcelona once again stand before him.

Barcelona's German coach Hansi Flick, for his part, said, "A Clasico is always different. It is football's best match. The whole world watches this game. You can win three points here, but it is bigger than that. To be part of a Clasico is extraordinary."

Madrid have not fallen this far behind this early in a league season since 2012-13. Mourinho was the coach then too; nine matches in, Real were eight points behind Barcelona and eventually finished second, 15 points adrift. To avoid a repeat of that history, Real have little room to think of anything but a win tonight.

How well a Courtois-less Real can handle that challenge will be answered in tonight's match. A defeat would stretch the gap in the title race to nine points, making any comeback far harder.