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Watch Chelsea vs Sunderland as the Black Cats look to continue their fine Premier League start, with all the broadcast details right here in this guide.

Chelsea vs Sunderland key information

• Date:Saturday, 25 October 2025

• Kick-off time:3:00pm BST / 10:00am ET

• Venue:Stamford Bridge, London

• TV & Streaming: Peacock (US), Stan Sport (Australia)

• Watch from anywhere:Get NordVPN’s Black Friday deal

Since losing at home to Brighton & Hove Albion a month ago, Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea have become as familiar with winning as red cards.

After four victories on the bounce in the Premier League and Champions League, the Blues are red-hot favourites against the Black Cats on Saturday.

FourFourTwo has all the information on live streams and TV channels so you can watch Chelsea vs Sunderland online, on TV, and from anywhere.

Is Chelsea vs Sunderland on TV in the UK?

Chelsea vs Sunderland is not being televised in the UK. The game is being played on Saturday at 3pm, a time when football matches cannot legally be broadcast in the UK. This is known as the ‘3pm ‘blackout”.

The irony is you can watch the game in pretty much every country other than the one in which it’s being played. If you’re visiting the UK you can use NordVPN to access your usual coverage.

Watch Chelsea vs Sunderland in the US

Chelsea vs Sunderland is one of this week’s games available to stream on Peacock.

Watch Chelsea vs Sunderland in Australia

Premier League fans in Australia can watch Chelsea vs Sunderland through Stan Sport.

Watch Chelsea vs Sunderland from anywhere

What if you’re away from home when Chelsea vs Sunderlandis on, and find access to your usual streaming service geo-blocked? The solution is a VPN, a piece of software that sets your devices to appear to be in any country in the world.

Assuming it complies with your broadcaster’s T&Cs, you can use a VPN to unblock the streaming services you’re subscribed to, with a host of privacy and protection benefits on top – that sounds like a result.

FourFourTwo’s colleagues TechRadar are experts in this field, and they reckon NordVPN is the best VPN provider on the market.

See also► Premier League TV guide

Chelsea vs Sunderland: Premier League preview

Chelsea’s red cards have threatened to derail their progress in combination with a spate of injuries, but if their recent run is any indication then they’ve done no harm at all.

Trevoh Chalobah, Malo Gusto and Robert Sanchez account for three of the ten red cards brandished in the Premier League this season but it’s illness and competition for places that threatens to keep them out of the side on this occasion.

The Blues’ well documented injury issues have been admirably compensated for by players coming in and contributing to an uptick in fortunes.

Sunderland have emphatically bucked the trend. The last six teams promoted to the Championship were all relegated immediately but Sunderland, last season’s play-off winners, start Saturday’s match level on points with Chelsea.

Regis Le Bris has nailed it so far this season and the Black Cats sit in seventh place. Their success has been built on defensive foundations; only Arsenal have conceded fewer goals.

Operating either side of an impressive back line that has in its ranks a genuine break-out star in the shape of Nordi Makuele, goalkeeper Robin Roefs and midfielder Granit Xhaka are a big part of the difference between Sunderland and the promoted teams before them.

Roefs and Xhaka were very different acquisitions. The 22-year-old goalkeeper was brought in with barely a season’s worth of league appearances under his belt for NEC in the Eredivisie. Xhaka, now 33, has proved a captaincy masterstroke.

The slight fly in the ointment in the context of this meeting is that Sunderland’s only away win this season was against Nottingham Forest at the end of September, which really was taking candy from a baby.

This fixture was last played in May 2017, when Antonio Conte’s already-crowned champions Chelsea spanked relegated Sunderland 5-1 despite conceding inside the first five minutes.

Goals from Willian, Eden Hazard and Pedro, and a brace from Michy Batshuayi, restored the party atmosphere in west London.

See also► These are the cheapest ways to watch the Premier League this season

Chelsea vs Sunderland: Expected line-ups

FourFourTwo’s prediction

Chelsea 3-1 Sunderland

Sunderland need to get their noses in front and stay there for a while to quieten the in-form Blues but we expect Maresca’s men to be too hot to handle.

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Graduating from the Manchester City youth team to Pep Guardiola’s senior squad is no easy feat.

Even a prodigious talent such as Cole Palmer felt he was best served moving on from the club in order to get playing regular first-team football, such is the challenge of getting past a host of the planet’s best players in the pecking order.

James McAtee is just five months younger than Palmer and rather than moving on from the club in order to get minutes under his belt, he opted for the loan route, spending the 2022/23 and 2023/24 campaigns on loan at Sheffield United.

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McAtee on his Sheffield United loan experience

McAtee has won 24 England U21s caps (Image credit: Getty Images)

McAtee’s first season across the Pennines saw him play a key role in their Championship promotion-winning campaign, with goal away at Blackpool in late December, when he ran from just outside his own penalty area to score, was the perfect illustration of how he had found his feet mid-season.

“It was a rollercoaster,” he tells FourFourTwo, referring to the campaign as a whole, rather than one of Blackpool’s main tourist attractions. “The first half of the season wasn’t so good, then around Christmas time I kicked on, got back into the team and that was probably my favourite year of football so far.

McAtee spent two seasons on loan at Sheffield United (Image credit: Getty Images)

“We got to the FA Cup semi-final, although we drew City, which meant I couldn’t play – that was a pain in the arse. I remember watching the draw, seeing we’d drawn City, I was gutted.

“But the highlight of the season was getting promoted – it was amazing.”

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McAtee, who joined Nottingham Forest in a permanent deal in the summer, returned for a second stint in South Yorkshire the following season, but that did go to plan, as the Blades finished rock bottom of the Premier League, shipping in a record 104 goals.

“The second year was brutal, not nice at all,” he admits. “We struggled, I think we won three games.

McAtee’s first stint at Bramall Lane saw the Blades win promotion to the Premier League (Image credit: PA)

“And when we got beat 8-0 by Newcastle, that was horrible. I didn’t want to go in for the next three days, I wanted to hide under my bed. It’s something I’d never want to go back to, but it was a lesson about trying to keep your head, trying to stay positive.

“Don’t spiral into reading the comments online, letting them get in your head. It was a tough time, but I learned a lot.”

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Brazilian winger Denilson is often cited as one of the biggest transfer flops in recent history, following the winger’s world record £21.5million move from Sao Paulo to Real Betis in 1998.

That saw him break the record set by his international team-mate Ronaldo 12 months earlier and big things were predicted from the 21-year-old who had broken into the Brazil national side as a teenager and played in that summer’s World Cup final.

And while he would never quite live up to the potential of his lofty transfer fee during his time in La Liga, Denilson did notch up more than 500 club appearances, plus 61 caps for his country and was part of the victorious 2002 World Cup squad. But how did that big move come about, and what did it mean for him?

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Denilson on what it meant to be the world’s most expensive player

The winger cost Betis £21.5million in 1998 (Image credit: Getty Images)

“In 1996, I got my first Brazil call-up,” Denilson recalls to FourFourTwo. “Suddenly, rumours of European clubs swirled. I was linked to Milan, Barça, Real Madrid, Manchester United. By 1998 things got serious. Then one day, Sao Paulo’s president summoned me and my former agent. That alone was terrifying for a kid, since contact with the president was rare.

“He told me the club had received a $12 million bid from Barcelona and intended to accept it. I had no clue what $12m even worked out as in reais. At that point, whatever they said, I would have agreed to it.

Denilson won 61 Brazil caps during his career (Image credit: Getty Images)

“I went home and told my parents I was off to Barça. But then Betis arrived, offering $32m (£21.5m). Brazilian law at the time meant I was entitled to just 15 per cent of that sum, but still, it was a life-changing amount of money. More than twice the offer from Barça and a chance to secure my family’s future.

“Today people always talk about career planning. Back then, that didn’t exist. My train was there and I had to jump on it. My first priority was sorting out my parents’ lives, the rest came after. Only later, when the press highlighted it, did I realise it was a world-record transfer fee. Honestly, I barely cared. My only concern was giving my family comfort.

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“Between 1995 and the 1998 World Cup Final, my career had been magical. Everything at Sao Paulo felt like a dream. We won the state championship before I left, and I went to my first World Cup on the back of that.

“I played every one of our matches in France, carried the ‘world’s most expensive player’ tag, and arrived in Seville in the best shape of my life. The only downside was not winning that World Cup, but even then I was living the high point of my career.

“Moving to Betis was the moment that I became a man and a real professional footballer. I didn’t know much about Seville. I’d been told I’d cope with the language, the winters weren’t too harsh and the food would be fine.

Denilson admits things changed for him after the 1998 World Cup final

“My parents came with me, so things were good off the pitch. But on it, I struggled. I wasn’t playing well and football stopped being fun.”

“I lost some of the irreverence that I carried. Instead came sadness, anger, pressure. I thought adapting to Spanish football would be easy, given my four brilliant years in Brazil. However, the expectations on me were enormous and the press questioned how anyone could pay such a fee for me. I grew up quickly through those tough times.

“My first two seasons were awful and we got relegated from La Liga. During the 2000-01 season, I split the year between a loan spell at Flamengo and Betis in the second division.”

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Australia vs South Africa Live Score, Women’s World Cup 2025: Australia Women opted to bowl first after winning the toss against South Africa in their final group-stage encounter, with skipper Tahlia McGrath citing the venueâ€s tendency to favor teams batting second and the improved conditions under lights. McGrath said her team was focusing on “a few little tweaks†ahead of the semifinals, aiming to build momentum with a complete performance. Australia made one change to their playing XI, bringing back leg-spinner Georgia Wareham. On Alyssa Healyâ€s fitness, McGrath maintained that her recovery remains a “day-by-day†process, though the star wicketkeeper-batter participated in training on the eve of the match.

South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt admitted she would have also chosen to bowl first, given her sideâ€s success in chases so far in the tournament. She expressed pride in her teamâ€s collective batting efforts and described the fixture as a major opportunity to challenge one of the worldâ€s best sides. Wolvaardt emphasized the occasionâ€s significance, noting that South Africa have never topped the group stage in any World Cup format. The Proteas made two changes — Nadine de Klerk and Masabata Klaas came into the XI. With both teams already familiar with each otherâ€s strengths, McGrath playfully remarked that “bragging rights are on the line†in what promises to be a competitive contest.

South Africa Women (Playing XI): Laura Wolvaardt(c), Tazmin Brits, Sune Luus, Annerie Dercksen, Marizanne Kapp, Sinalo Jafta(w), Chloe Tryon, Nadine de Klerk, Masabata Klaas, Ayabonga Khaka, Nonkululeko Mlaba

Australia Women (Playing XI): Georgia Voll, Phoebe Litchfield, Ellyse Perry, Annabel Sutherland, Beth Mooney(w), Ashleigh Gardner, Tahlia McGrath(c), Georgia Wareham, Alana King, Kim Garth, Megan Schutt

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Ajax’s 1995 Champions League win remains one of the most memorable triumphs in modern football history.

Louis van Gaal’s young, largely homegrown side looked to be the perfect modern template for success, combining Dutch flair and technical ability with physicality. Many predicted that years of European dominance would follow, but instead this would be the high-water mark of the team, as the newly-established Bosman ruling would soon rip apart the side.

Key to that side’s success was young Finnish playmaker Jari Litmanen, who found a home at the club after trying his luck in the Premier League.

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Jari Litmanen on Ajax’s Champions League success

Litmanen celebrates on of his 129 Ajax goals (Image credit: Getty Images)

“It’s hard to believe it’s already 30 years ago,” Litmanen recalls to FourFourTwo when asked about that landmark campaign. “Only two of us actually had any real European Cup experience – Frank Rijkaard and I. When the draw came – Milan, AEK Athens and Casino Salzburg – we were excited.

“The first game was at home against Milan and we felt no pressure because everyone just expected us to lose. Four months earlier, they’d beaten Barcelona 4-0 in the Champions League final, but we won 2-0. That was a huge step for us – from that moment, everything changed.

Litmanen spent seven seasons at Ajax (Image credit: Alamy)

“The second game against Milan was played in Trieste [after crowd trouble at a previous Milan game at San Siro]. I remember the talk in Italy – they weren’t going to underestimate Ajax a second time. I scored early to make it 1-0, then we added a second to win again. Even the Milan fans applauded us. From that point, we were sure we could go far in the competition.”

Ajax’s semi-final second leg was a particularly memorable night for Litmanen, who netted twice in a 5-2 win over Bayern Munich.

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The first leg in Munich finished 0-0, then in the second leg I scored to make it 1-0, but Bayern equalised,” Litmanen adds. “At that point, with the away goal, we were out. We told ourselves, “No problem, look around, the stadium is full, the crowd is behind us.” We scored again to make it 2-1, then 3-1 and I made it 4-1.

“It was an unbelievable feeling to reach the final against Milan. We’d beaten them twice, so we felt ready, though they had more experience in those kinds of games.”

Litmanen’s place in the final was in doubt however, with Finn suffering from a grass allergy in the build-up to the game.

Clarence Seedorf, Jari Litmanen and Edwin van der Sar celebrate Ajax’s 1995 Champions League final victory over Milan (Image credit: Alamy)

“That started a week before the final,” he continues. “I couldn’t sleep and was only getting a few hours of rest during the day. My eyes were red, my throat was sore and I didn’t feel right.

“On the Monday, Van Gaal asked me if he could count on me to play in the final on Wednesday. Of course, I said yes. In the game, I wasn’t at my best and when you face Marcel Desailly, you need to be 100 per cent, so it was really tough.

“It was the worst of the three games we played against Milan that season, but we won. Patrick Kluivert came on for me and scored the winning goal – I joke with him that it was an ugly goal, but it doesn’t matter. We won the Champions League.”

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Key events

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What happened in Europe last night, I hear you ask?

Real Sociedad picked up a rare La Liga win, beating Sevilla 2-1; Werder Bremen edged Union Berlin in a mid-table Bundesliga contest; and AC Milan salvaged a last-gasp 2-2 draw with Pisa thanks to Zachary Athekameâ€s 93rd minute equaliser.

Todayâ€s continental offering is far more meaty with Bayern Munich going to Borussia Mönchengladbach in the pick of the German games, plus four La Liga matches including Valencia v Villarreal. The small matter* of El Clásico is tomorrow.

Oh and Napoli lock horns with Inter at 5pm (BST) in a game that may prove illuminating re this seasonâ€s Serie A title race.

*Itâ€s not a small matter, itâ€s a bloody big football match.

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For me, dinner can either be lunch or tea.But thatâ€s just me, Manchester-born, Stockport-bred.

Last night I made bruschetta and carbonara and called it a dinner party. *Shrugs*

I’m familiar with the concept of ‘dinner’. Of course I am. It’s the meal you eat at round half past midday or one o’clock. But a dinner party? What fresh madness is this?!

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This is a really revealing interview with Brentfordâ€s Sepp van den Berg who prepares to face his old side Liverpool tonight and looks back on his difficult time at the Merseyside club:

It was definitely dark days. As a 17-year-old boy coming in from a different country, youâ€re not the priority.

I was going home crying at some points and then not speaking to anyone. Do you call this depressed? I think itâ€s a bit too heavy a word. But I wasnâ€t feeling well. I wasnâ€t in the head space you are supposed to be in.

I had no confidence and that really affected me as a footballer. I was just constantly doubting myself, like I was not good enough. I didnâ€t want to go to training, which is not me. Then, you know you are really down low.

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The Premier League offering may be rather meagre today but thereâ€s some meaty clashes in the EFL – especially in the Championship.

Top of the table Coventry can continue their stellar form under Frank Lampard at home to Watford in one of the early games; Ipswich v West Brom is a battle of two underperforming sides who have ambitions to push higher in the table, while Wrexham go to second-placed Middlesbrough looking to inflict just a second defeat of the season on Rob Edwards†side.

In League One, the clash between Stevenage and Bradford is an unlikely second v third scrap – both teams have defied the odds to sit in the promotion race at this stage, although Cardiff can stay top if they win at playoff-chasing Bolton in the early game.

Iâ€m picking out Gillingham v Salford as the standout game in League Two. Both teams have been heavily tipped for promotion this season but currently lie in the playoff places after recent dips in form. Who can resurrect their fortunes this afternoon?

Aaaaand Iâ€ve probably missed some big games in that short roundup/preview. Comment below or email me with your suggestions …

Coventry City are unbeaten in the league under Frank Lampard this season. Photograph: Steven Paston/PAShare

Updated at 04.35 EDT

Hereâ€s Sophie Downey writing on the incomparable Fishlock, by the way.

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Scottish Premiership: Dundee United v St Mirren, Falkirk v Dundee and Livingston v Motherwell are the only three games in the top tier north of the border this afternoon – all 3pm kickoffs – but the story of the season so far (aside from Rangers†struggles) has been about table-topping Hearts.

Here Ewan Murray takes a dive into the surprise success of the Gorgie Boys, who host Celtic on Sunday (midday KO) in the biggest test yet of their title credentials.

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Welsh legend Jess Fishlock prepares to call time on a glittering international career this afternoon, as they take on Australia in a friendly at her home ground of Cardiff City Stadium.

It should be an emotional occasion for the icon of 165 caps, whose Wales career has spanned nearly two decades, with Fishlock telling the BBC she “owes everything to Walesâ€.

“My biggest success so far is having kids say: ‘I can do thatâ€. It was never about me playing. All I want to do is play one more time in front of my family. Itâ€s been the biggest honour to represent Wales.â€

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Whoever thought organising two games to kick off concurrently in Manchesterâ€s two biggest grounds, one at Old Trafford and one at the Etihad, should give their head an almighty wobble.

Itâ€s never been known for Manchester United and City to kick off at the same time, so why set that same arrangement for United and Englandâ€s Women? A baffling decision, the effects of which will be noticed by anyone and everyone travelling around Manchester today, on trains, tram or road.

Rant over.

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Letâ€s have a gander at todayâ€s football schedule, then, at least in terms of the big games:

• 12.30pm – Three Championship games, including Coventry v Watford

• 3pm – Chelsea v Sunderland & Newcastle v Fulham in the Premier League

• 3pm – Full EFL and Scottish schedule

• 5.30pm – Manchester United v Brighton

• 5.30pm – England Women v Brazil

• 8pm – Brentford v Liverpool

(All times BST – but donâ€t forget those clocks go back overnight!)

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Updated at 04.03 EDT

Hereâ€s some corking Saturday morning reading for you.

Sir Kenny Dalglish talks to Donald McRae about the new film directed by Asif Kapadia which centres on the Scotâ€s remarkable career in football and his connection with Liverpool.

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Watching the highlights of Leeds v West Ham (I was conducting a dinner party so missed the full shebang, sorry), I was struck by the ability of Noah Okafor on the wing. He seemed to be involved in everything good Daniel Farkeâ€s side did and looks a cracking signing

Farke himself lauded a “win of passion and desire, togetherness and spiritâ€, while accepting Leeds could have been more dominant on the night.

The three points lift the Whites to 13th, with 11 points from their nine games so far, which is a decent launchpad for a realistic tilt at survival. Leeds fans, are you staying up this year? Get in touch!

Daniel Farke salutes the Leeds fans after their vital win over West Ham. Photograph: Visionhaus/Getty ImagesShare

Nuno not hiding after West Ham’s Leeds loss

Itâ€s fair to say Nuno has gone from the Nottingham Forest frying pan to a furnace at West Ham.

If the Hammers werenâ€t in trouble before last nightâ€s clash at Leeds, they most certainly are now after a 2-1 defeat at Elland Road left them 19th with just one win this season – which came against Nunoâ€s Forest when he was still at the City Ground. Brenden Aaronson and Joe Rodon scored early with Mateus Fernandesâ€s goal coming too late to spark a comeback.

“There are many problems in our club unfortunately,†said the Portuguese coach last night. “It is not up to us to hide ourselves behind the problems. Everyone has to be alive and to do much more and be in the right position.

“We were not dealing with our defensive situations and I felt like we needed a striker to hold the ball, so maybe thatâ€s not the greatest from me. These kind of mistakes are unacceptable in the Premier League

“We donâ€t expect things to change by themselves. Realising we have time can be a mistake if we donâ€t change things around quickly.â€

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Updated at 04.34 EDT

Preamble

Good morning and a very happy weekend to you all. Saturday mornings mean our matchday live is up and running and Iâ€ll be steering it until around lunchtime. Weâ€ll have reaction from last nightâ€s games and plenty of buildup to a big weekend in the Premier League, EFL and beyond, with Englandâ€s Women taking on Brazil in a big international friendly at the Etihad Stadium later, too.

As always with matchday live, we encourage you to drop your comments in below the line, or send us an email with your thoughts and predictions for the weekend to come.

Iâ€ll start by plugging our usual ‘10 things to look out for†before we turn to last nightâ€s Premier League action and some problems already for Nuno Espírito Santo and West Ham United.

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Oct 24, 2025, 03:00 AM ET

There is nothing quite like El Clásico. Whenever Real Madrid and Barcelona play each other, there is no bigger match happening anywhere else in the soccer world.

Sunday’s clash at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu (stream LIVE at on ESPN+ in the U.S.) will be no different. Defending LaLiga champions Barcelona arrive in the Spanish capital sitting two points behind their bitter rivals at the top of the table.

Madrid coach Xabi Alonso, a legendary midfielder who won the LaLiga title and the UEFA Champions League during his five years as a player for Los Blancos, will be experiencing his first clash against Barcelona from the dugout. He will be doing so with star striker Kylian Mbappé in top form.

– Forget Ronaldo vs. Messi! Mbappé vs. Yamal is new Clásico star battle
– Why Clásico could hinge on battle between Bellingham and Pedri
– Is LaLiga’s American dream over? Why Barça’s Miami match was cancelled

Barça boss Hansi Flick claimed a clean sweep over Madrid last season, winning all four of the matchups in his first season in charge. Young phenom Lamine Yamal was among the stars over the course of those wins, and he could once again be a match-winner in Madrid.

ESPN’s Alex Kirkland and Sam Marsden run through the form, all-time head-to-head, latest team news and key clashes ahead of the 262nd edition of El Clásico.

ESPN

All-time head-to-head: Barça can draw level with a win

Real Madrid have historically maintained an advantage for most of the time in their head-to-head matchup with Barcelona, dating to the 1930s. Since then, both clubs have had periods of sustained dominance in meetings with their rivals — Madrid in the 1960s, and Barça in the 1970s and ’80s. But the balance started to shift in the past 20 years, as Madrid’s head-to-head lead narrowed, starting with the Pep Guardiola era at Barça. Madrid posted only one win in 14 meetings in all competitions between 2008 and 2012, a spell that included legendary 6-2 and 5-0 wins in the fixture for Guardiola’s team, as well as a triumph in a UEFA Champions League semifinal.

Since then, it has been more even — Barça were unbeaten in seven Clásicos from 2017 to 2019, before Madrid went six undefeated between 2019 and 2022 — but Barça’s four victories last season leave them on the brink of matching Madrid in the all-time head-to-head. — Kirkland

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What happened last season?

Barcelona, slightly unexpectedly, ruled Madrid last season. There was uncertainty surrounding the Blaugrana at the start of the campaign, with no one really sure how new coach Flick would do with a young squad. Madrid, meanwhile, on the back of winning LaLiga and the Champions League, had added Kylian Mbappé to their squad.

But as often is the case in this fixture, logic did not prevail. Barça were superb in attack, racking up 16 goals in four victories against Madrid as they won both league meetings en route to the title, as well as final wins in the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Supercopa. At times, it felt as if they could score at will, especially in the final Clásico of the season, which effectively clinched the league title. After Mbappé had given Madrid a 2-0 lead inside 15 minutes, Barça replied with four unanswered goals before the break.

That was very much a theme of Barça’s wins: lots of goals in short spurts. They also scored four in the second half at the Bernabéu last October, and four in the first half in the 5-2 Supercopa win in January. It ended 16-7 to Barça on aggregate over the course of the four fascinating and hugely entertaining games. Barça are now aiming to win five straight editions of the Clásico for only the second time in club history — 2008-10, under Guardiola, was the only other time. — Marsden

play

1:54

Is the El Clásico Alonso’s hardest managerial test?

Craig Burley and Steve Nicol look ahead to Real Madrid vs. Barcelona after UCL victories for both teams.

How are they doing this season?

REAL MADRID

The feeling is that Madrid are an improvement on last season’s vintage, but they’re still a work in progress. There has been a notable change in the way the team plays out of possession — with more intensity, pressing high to win the ball back, and a more cohesive defensive shape — while the other big plus has been the sensational form of Mbappé, who has scored in 10 of his 11 club games this season. Vinícius Júnior is getting closer to his best form, and while the midfield still hasn’t quite jelled, Arda Güler is now a valuable creative influence, already providing five assists for Mbappé this campaign.

Madrid’s record in LaLiga is impressive, with eight wins out of nine, but the game they didn’t win was a 5-2 thumping to Atlético Madrid. And there’s still the nagging feeling that in the “big” games — that Madrid derby, and the FIFA Club World Cup semifinal against Paris Saint-Germain in the summer — Alonso’s team has suffered stage fright. — Kirkland

BARCELONA

Flick has acknowledged Barcelona aren’t yet hitting the heights of last season. He has bemoaned poor positioning and a drop in the intensity of the pressing as two of the biggest factors in the team’s drop-off. Injuries have also played a part, with Raphinha, Yamal, Fermín López, Gavi, Joan García, Dani Olmo and Robert Lewandowski among those to sit out stretches of the season. That said, results have not been that bad. They have won two out of three in the Champions League, losing only to Paris Saint-Germain via a late goal, and are only two points behind leaders Madrid in LaLiga.

Performances have not always been as encouraging. Rayo Vallecano could have beat them earlier in the season, Sevilla scored four against them and Girona should arguably have taken at least a point last weekend. But snatching a late win against Girona and then beating Olympiacos 6-1 in midweek will give the players a confidence boost heading to Madrid. López is back and looking sharp, Yamal has featured in the past two games after recovering from a groin problem, and Marcus Rashford has settled in well. — Marsden

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1:48

Rashford impressed by ‘unbelievable’ Pedri since move to Barcelona

Marcus Rashford reveals which Barcelona players have impressed him since joining the club.

Both teams have several injury doubts. What is the latest?

REAL MADRID

There’s optimism that Madrid’s issues at right back — where Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dani Carvajal have both been out injured, and Federico Valverde has reluctantly been drafted in — are soon to be solved, with both Alexander-Arnold and Carvajal pushing for a return in time for the Clásico. On the other side of the defense, Ferland Mendy is also getting close to full fitness, although the Clásico might come too soon for him, and Ãlvaro Carreras is the starter at left back anyway.

At center back, Dean Huijsen should be available to partner with Éder Militão, as Antonio Rüdiger is expected to be out until December, and David Alaba was substituted at halftime against Getafe last weekend as a precaution. In midfield, Dani Ceballos has a muscular problem, and is unlikely to be fit to face Barça. — Kirkland

BARCELONA

Joan García, Marc-André ter Stegen, Gavi, Olmo and Lewandowski will all sit out the game, and a source told ESPN that Raphinha will also miss out after suffering a setback in his return from a hamstring injury. But there is some positive news for Barça — Yamal and López both returned to action last weekend, with the latter then scoring a stunning hat trick with his weaker left foot against Olympiacos. Ferran Torres returned to the bench against the Greek side. Though he didn’t play, he should be ready this weekend. — Marsden

ESPN

Key clashes

Kylian Mbappé vs. Barcelona’s high line: Who can forget the last time these two teams met at the Bernabéu, almost exactly a year ago? Barcelona ended up winning the match 4-0, but all four of those goals came in the second half. Before the break, it could have been a very different story, as Madrid went toe-to-toe with Barça, but Mbappé was caught offside six times (his game total of eight was a career high) and was unable to make the breakthrough.

Since then, much has changed: Mbappé looks a different player, supremely confident and comfortable in a Real Madrid shirt, and he has Güler behind him providing the support. Barça, meanwhile, look nothing like the well-oiled machine of Flick’s first season, and there’s no Iñigo Martínez marshalling the defense. There could be rich pickings if Madrid and Mbappé get it right this time. — Kirkland

Lamine Yamal vs. Ãlvaro Carreras: Even though Barça won both games in Lisbon against Benfica last season (5-4 and 1-0), Yamal did not have all things go his way in the matchup with Carreras. The Spanish left back was one of the players who did the best job of containing Yamal, who finally scored against Benfica in the third meeting between the teams, when Carreras was suspended.

Yamal is the sort of player who’s also motivated by individual battles. The idea that he needs to prove himself against an opponent fuels him, and he will be ready to run at Carreras. He is averaging 14.8 take-ons per 90 minutes and 6.4 successful take-ons per 90 this season in LaLiga, both of which are the most in Europe’s top five leagues (minimum 300 minutes). He also, as Flick pointed out this week, nearly always steps up in the big games. His three career goals against Madrid are more than he has scored against any other team.

With Raphinha, Lewandowski and Olmo absent, a large part of Barça’s hopes will again depend on the teenager delivering. — Marsden

Predictions

The gap between the two teams last season was significant, if not always as great as the scorelines in their four meetings suggested. Madrid look quite a bit better than last season, while Barça are worse. Madrid will win 3-1. — Kirkland

Madrid have looked more stable but also have their own problems defensively. Alonso’s biggest games in charge so far — against PSG and Atlético — have ended in defeats and I expect Barça to improve on what we have seen in recent weeks. Ultimately, with only two points between the teams in the league, a draw might not be deemed the worst result for either side if it’s tied late on. It will be a 2-2 draw. — Marsden

Odds (via ESPNBET)

Real Madrid: +105
Barcelona: +210
Draw: +300

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‘We got the bus and went down to Sheffield to visit the supporters who were in hospital,†Kenny Dalglish says as he remembers how he spent the Monday after the tragedy of Hillsborough in April 1989. “All the players were there so we split up and they walked into different wards to see people. We were trying to give them a wee bit of confidence or belief of anything that could help them. And there was a family around a young boyâ€s bed and he was unconscious.â€

Sean Luckett was 20 years old and one of the thousands of fervent Liverpool supporters who had travelled to Hillsborough to support the team who Dalglish managed and had played for with such sublime talent since arriving from Celtic in 1977. Ninety-seven Liverpool fans eventually lost their lives after the unbearable crush during the clubâ€s FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest.

Luckett had been in a coma for two days when Dalglish stood at his bedside at the Royal Hallamshire hospital. With the Luckett family gathered around him, Dalglish said: “Hi there, wee man. Come on, youâ€ll be all right. We love your support.â€

Thirty-six years later, on a rainy Thursday afternoon in London, Dalglish shakes his head in wonder at the memory of what happened next. “We were walking away and there was a scream. Whatâ€s happened here? I turned round and the wee man was sitting up. Unbelievable.â€

David Edbrooke, a consultant anaesthetist, was quoted in the Times the following day, 18 April 1989, as he described the apparent miracle. “I have never seen anything like it,†Edbrooke said. “[Luckett] opened his eyes and whispered: ‘Kenny Dalglish.â€â€

The Liverpool manager said: “Well done, wee man,†with his familiar wry smile, before moving on to the next ward.

Such vivid moments, and monuments of social and football history, light up Asif Kapadiaâ€s moving new film on Dalglish. The Oscar-winning director, who made an unforgettable trilogy of documentaries about Ayrton Senna, Diego Maradona and Amy Winehouse, has turned his lifelong love of Liverpool into a compelling portrait of Dalglish.

Sir Kenny Dalglish says that watching the new documentary about his life makes him ‘emotionalâ€. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian

From a childhood in Glasgow, to his youthful brilliance at Celtic and his magisterial playing career at Liverpool where he won multiple league titles and European Cups, to his compassion as their manager after Hillsborough, the film also captures the toll that death and institutionalised deceit took on Dalglish.

The 74-year-old pauses when I ask what he thought as he watched the documentary. “Iâ€m just emotional,†Dalglish says quietly.

Kapadia agrees. “When I make a film I sometimes donâ€t know what itâ€s about until afterwards. Whatâ€s been really interesting about this film is that itâ€s very emotional. There is the emotion of the people who were there and the emotion of people who are watching. Itâ€s really interesting how people who donâ€t know anything about Liverpool, or donâ€t even watch football, are affected. Kenny and Marina [Dalglishâ€s wife], and all those around them, are just good people. Itâ€s important – particularly now when so many awful people are in positions of power – to tell a story about good people who care about others.â€

Dalglish says simply: “Youâ€re supposed to help.â€

Returning to the film, Dalglish adds: “Some people have said: ‘Oh, Iâ€ve never seen that footage before. [Former Celtic manager] Jock Stein on the pitch and a wee kid of 17.†Heâ€s coaching us. Big Jock was a huge influence on me, and a good fellow.â€

Of the families whose loved ones died at Hillsborough, Kenny Dalglish says: ‘I donâ€t think theyâ€ll ever get closure. History doesnâ€t give you closure, does it? I donâ€t think itâ€s possible.†Photograph: PA Images/Alamy

Kapadia leans forward: “I really love it if you can tell a story about Kenny Dalglish via Jock Stein, Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley and the players. Paul McCartney is in it. Itâ€s full of cultural and sporting icons and moments of history. My kids didnâ€t know this. They hadnâ€t seen Kenny play. So I wanted to tell a story about a period before the Premier League, before the Champions League, before history was rewritten and started from zero. Itâ€s all these amazing people, and amazing football, that I wanted to show.â€

A deadpan Dalglish says: “All that low blocking and high pressing.â€

Amid the laughter Kapadia exclaims: “And xG! The language of football was rewritten and Iâ€m like, letâ€s go back to Roy of the Rovers, Panini, and bring it forward from there.â€

“What does it mean, xG?†Dalglish asks.

“Expected goals,†Kapadia replies, “but Iâ€ve no idea how they calculate that. The chance that Mo [Salah] had was an xG of 0.6 and if heâ€d passed it to [Florian] Wirtz that wouldâ€ve been an xG of 0.8.â€

“He should have passed it,†Dalglish quips.

“Kenny, youâ€ve won more trophies than anyone can count, scored the winning goal in a Champions League final, winning goal to clinch the league, managed the team that won the Double, and you donâ€t even know what xG is.â€

“I left school at 15.â€

“Theyâ€ve embedded things to make you and I go: ‘What does that mean?â€â€ the 53-year-old Kapadia laments.

“New technology,†Dalglish replies.

“Yes,†Kapadia sighs. “None of us can tell what a handball is any more. Whatâ€s going on?â€

“Naebody knows.â€

Kenny Dalglish (centre) celebrates with his fellow Scottish players at Liverpool, Graeme Souness (left) and Alan Hansen, after their win in the 1981 European Cup final over Real Madrid in Paris. Photograph: Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Beyond Dalglishâ€s familiar dry wit lingers terrible pain and anger. There is a scene in Kapadiaâ€s film where Dalglish struggles to choke back the tears as he remembers taking his eldest children Paul and Kelly on to the Kop a few days after Hillsborough. The famous old terrace was silent and covered in a sea of flowers and scarves.

“It told me how close the supporters were to each other and the football team,†Dalglish says. “You saw little messages left by supporters for guys they must have stood beside for every home game. Someone left an orange. They must have shared an orange every game. It was hard for Kelly and Paul to take when they were walking through. It was hard for me as well.â€

Paul and Kelly had both been at Hillsborough and it took almost 20 minutes before Dalglish knew his son was safe. Kapadiaâ€s film includes a distressing photograph which captures the horror on Dalglishâ€s face as people die around him. “It was scandalous,†Dalglish says now. “Disgraceful.â€

The FA insisted that Liverpool had to play their abandoned semi-final against Forest just three weeks later. “It was heartless. To say that youâ€re going to be thrown out of the competition? It was absolutely scandalous.â€

Dalglish details the many mistakes the FA and the police made in herding the Liverpool fans into the crammed pens at the Leppings Lane end and says: “It was preventable. And they never took any responsibility whatsoever. Never. The people that needed the greatest care never got it from the FA, not from anybody outside.â€

Is that why Dalglish showed such compassion for the families for decades? “I did it because I thought it was the right thing to do. I was just supporting people who had suffered.â€

Kenny Dalglish and his wife, Marina, at the memorial service in the Metropolitan Cathedral, Liverpool, in memory of those killed in the Hillsborough disaster. Photograph: Manchester Daily Express/SSPL/Getty Images

The Sun newspaper lied systematically about Liverpool supporters, claiming they were drunk and violent and had caused the disaster. Dalglish was telephoned by the Sunâ€s editor Kelvin MacKenzie, who asked him what they could do to end the cityâ€s boycott of his newspaper. “I said: ‘You know the best thing you can do? Just put We Lied in the headline.†He said he canâ€t do that. So I says: ‘I cannae help you.†Put the phone down.â€

It took another 27 years before an inquest in 2016 determined that all those who lost their lives were unlawfully killed by a catalogue of failings by the police and ambulance services. But as Dalglish says now of the families of the victims: “I donâ€t think theyâ€ll ever get closure. History doesnâ€t give you closure, does it? I donâ€t think itâ€s possible.â€

Dalglish was scarred by all he witnessed but he says: “I donâ€t think I looked at myself and thought about the ramifications. I did it because itâ€s what youâ€re supposed to do. Me and Marina were brought up the same way, Glaswegian, where itâ€s whatâ€s in your heart that counts.â€

All these years later it was touching to see, last Sunday at Anfield, Dalglish and Alex Ferguson, another great old Glaswegian, chatting away before and after Liverpoolâ€s surprise defeat by Manchester United. Their fierce rivalry melted away.

“Aye!†Dalglish says with a grin. “Of course I gave him chocolates. He enjoyed them as well. He was like a wee kid going to school. Behave yourself or youâ€re not having any chocolate buttons. He was in good form, before the game as well.â€

Liverpool suffered their fourth successive loss that afternoon and I ask Dalglish if he was worried three nights later when they went 1-0 down to Eintracht Frankfurt before scoring five unanswered goals. “It was never in doubt.â€

The head coach Arne Slot did an incredible job last season, winning the league at a canter while being wise enough not to disrupt the team that Jürgen Klopp had built. This summer Slot spent £450m, including £125m on Alexander Isak while introducing other gifted attacking players in Wirtz and Hugo Ekitiké. “Amazing, isnâ€t it?†Dalglish says. “Arne had a great season last season. And all of a sudden, within two months, everything needs revisiting. Iâ€m not talking about him, Iâ€m talking about peopleâ€s opinions.

Kenny Dalglish after helping Liverpool win the 1986 FA Cup final and complete the Double, a week after he had scored the goal that clinched the league title. Photograph: Mirrorpix/Getty Images

“He only made two signings last year. [Giorgi] Mamardashvili, the [reserve] goalkeeper, and [Federico] Chiesa. This year he spends a few quid and after two months theyâ€re saying he should do this, he should do that. But if he hadnâ€t bought anybody, theyâ€d say: ‘Why didnâ€t he buy?†The only way he can win is to win games. And that was a great result [in Frankfurt].â€

There is no mini-crisis for Liverpool in Dalglishâ€s mind. He is back to his sphinx-like best when I ask if Liverpool will win the league again. “Iâ€m no clairvoyant. But weâ€ll have a go.â€

He describes Wirtz as a “very clever†footballer and picks out Salah as the player he has enjoyed watching most in recent years. “The goals Salah scored, and the assists he made, were very entertaining and exciting. One or two always stick out when the teamâ€s successful. But, in a team sport, everybodyâ€s important.â€

Kapadia is almost as passionate about Liverpool as Dalglish. “My family are all Arsenal fans,†he says. “Weâ€re north Londoners but my best friend was this Turkish boy I grew up with in Stamford Hill. He liked Kenny Dalglish and Liverpool, and I was like, ‘OK, Iâ€ll copy you.†How life-changing that is when youâ€re four, on a tricycle, playing in the street, and trying to write your name on a ball from Woolworths.â€

Dalglish smiles in understanding and Kapadia says: “When we showed the film in Italy a journalist said she really noticed the word that comes up again and again. People. Itâ€s for the people. Itâ€s about people. Thatâ€s what you say, Kenny, and what you do. You do everything for the people.â€

Kapadia turns to me. “Itâ€s nice to have good human beings who stand up for those who donâ€t have a voice, who donâ€t have any power. When everyone seems against them, someone needs to step up. Kenny did that again and again. So Iâ€m glad I made the film. We have this moment while Kennyâ€s here and feels it. Weâ€re not waiting till after heâ€s gone to tell him how much we all love him.â€

Kenny Dalglish will be in cinemas 29-30 October and on Amazon Prime from 4 November

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