El Clásico: 'They'll punish them' - Rafael van der Vaart predicts Barcelona vs Real Madrid clash

Former Real Madrid player Rafael van der Vaart has forecasted the outcome of the upcoming El Clásico match between Barcelona and Real Madrid, scheduled for Sunday. The clash will be the first encounter of the season, with van der Vaart predicting that José Mourinho's team will "punish" the leaders of La Liga through their counter-attacking style.

Speaking to Winwin, the Dutch midfielder, who previously played for Real Madrid, expressed confidence in Mourinho's squad's ability to capitalize on Barcelona's possession losses. Barcelona, currently leading the La Liga table, has secured all nine of their matches this season, maintaining a six-point advantage over Real Madrid, which is situated in third place.

Van der Vaart stated, "I expect Real Madrid to win the match. Although Barcelona are playing well, I think Real Madrid can exploit Barcelona's loss of possession very effectively through counter-attacks. I believe they will punish Barcelona." Recognizing mentality as the key difference between the two clubs, van der Vaart noted that Real Madrid has become a "winning machine," where players fight for the manager and give their all on the pitch.

Barcelona, meanwhile, approaches the Clásico following a 4-2 Champions League defeat against Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday. Despite this setback, van der Vaart does not anticipate it to negatively impact Barcelona's performance.