Kylian Mbappe’s gets his first taste of Real Madrid’s biggest rivalry, Barcelona’s rising star hits new heights and Vinicus Jr continues to look Ballon d’Or-worthy: Five talking points ahead of El Clasico

El Clasico is one of the standout fixtures in world football and the latest clash between Real Madrid and Barcelona promises to be something special.

Going into the game at the Bernabeu on Saturday night, Barcelona are top of the table but they are just three points ahead of Real.

There will be plenty of intriguing subplots, with star players on both sides eager to make an impact.

Both teams enjoyed impressive victories in the Champions League in midweek, with Real remarkably coming from two goals down to beat Borussia Dortmund 5-2. Barcelona, meanwhile, ran out 4-1 winners at home to Bayern Munich.  

Here, Mail Sport looks at five key talking points ahead of this eagerly-anticipated game. 

Both sides come into the clash having won big in the Champions League in the midweek ties

Welcome to Spain, Kylian 

Kylian Mbappe has played in numerous high-profile games in his career, including the World Cup final, so he may not be especially fazed by the prospect of taking part in El Clasico.

However, there will still be much focus on how the Frenchman fares and he could have a pivotal part to play in proceedings.

Mbappe boasts an impressive record against Barcelona from his time at PSG with a return of six goals in just four games, and he will be determined to add to that tally.

There will be much focus on Kylian Mbappe as he plays in El Clasico for the first time

Since making the switch to Real, Mbappe has scored eight times in 13 matches in all competitions. 

A significant contribution against Barcelona would represent another major step in the right direction as far as his Real career is concerned.

Raphina finds top gear

Raphinha has faced a considerable amount of scrutiny since signing for Barcelona from Leeds in 2022. 

In midweek the winger provided an indication of what he is capable of when at his best as he scored a sensational hat-trick against Bayern Munich.

Raphinha also hit a treble against Real Valladolid earlier in the campaign and he will be hoping make a major contribution on Saturday.

Raphinha will go into the game full of confidence after his hat-trick against Bayern Munich

The Brazil international has yet to score against Real Madrid during seven appearances against them for Barcelona.

Should he manage to alter that statistic then it would help to further endear him to the Barcelona fans.

Ballon d’Or favourite proves why

If everything goes to plan then this could prove to be quite a week for Vincius Jr.

The hugely talented Brazilian winger has already had much to celebrate following his incredible hat-trick in Real’s comeback victory against Dortmund.

On Monday the winner of the Ballon d’Or will be revealed and Vinicius is one of the leading contenders for the prestigious prize along with Manchester City midfielder Rodri.

Vinicius Jr also scored a hat-trick in midweek as Real Madrid beat Borussia Dortmund

If Vinicius was to star in El Clasico and then win the Ballon d’Or then the 24-year-old will be on top of the world.

It has been a productive campaign for Vinicius so far, which has included eight goals and seven assists in 14 appearances. 

Inaki Pena looks to justify his selection 

After first-choice goalkeeper Marc-Andre Ter Stegen was ruled out for the rest of the season due to a serious knee injury, Barcelona moved to bring Wojciech Szczesny out of retirement to provide cover.

However, Szczesny has had to be content with being second choice since joining the club, with Inaki Pena keeping his place in goal.

The continued selection of La Masia graduate Pena has been questioned by some supporters, but he appears to retain the faith of Barcelona boss Hansi Flick.

Barcelona goalkeeper Inaki Pena will be looking to justify his selection against Real Madrid

If Pena can impress against Real’s array of attacking stars then it will justify the decision to persist with him.  

Otherwise, the clamour for Szczesny to be involved will only increase. 

Can Bellingham get his first club goal of the season?  

After a prolific first season at Real Madrid in which he scored 23 goals in all competitions, Jude Bellingham has yet to get off the mark for his club this campaign.

That hasn’t been a major problem for Real as Mbappe’s arrival has reduced the need for Bellingham to contribute as much in attack, while the 21-year-old is still performing well in other aspects of his game.

Given how much he relishes playing on the big stage, though, Bellingham will be determined to impress against Barcelona and get his first club goal of the season.

Jude Bellingham will be eager to get his first club goal of the season against Barcelona

Bellingham scored twice away to Barcelona in LaLiga last season and was also on target in the home fixture.

Not everything at Real rests on his shoulders but Bellingham will want to give everybody a reminder of the attacking threat that he is capable of providing.