Valverde at right-back, Güler starts: Mourinho surprises for Camp Nou Clasico

José Mourinho has made unexpected choices for Sunday’s Clasico at Camp Nou: Federico Valverde, the Uruguayan midfielder, is deployed at right-back, a role he already occupied Wednesday against Leipzig in the UEFA Champions League.

This positioning allows the Portuguese manager to build an entirely French-French double pivot in midfield, with Aurélien Tchouaméni and Eduardo Camavinga. Arda Güler is set to start on the right wing, while Yan Diomandé takes the left flank in the absence of Vinicius Jr, suspended after pulling hair during the match against Villarreal two weeks ago. Trent Alexander-Arnold and Denzel Dumfries, despite arriving this summer, are therefore left out of the right corridor. Kylian Mbappé, meanwhile, is in full confidence after scoring in Real Madrid’s last three matches, including a notable goal against Seville last weekend.

On the other side, Hansi Flick must manage without several key players. Jules Koundé is dealing with an ankle injury, while Andreas Christensen, Eric Garcia and Dani Olmo are also unavailable. Barcelona should field a lineup close to the one presented against PSG in the UEFA Champions League, with Rodri returning to the starting eleven. Xavi Espart is expected on the right of defence, Joao Cancelo on the opposite flank. The attacking sector will be animated by Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, Anthony Gordon and Fermin Lopez.