Faltering Barcelona (11-6) will look to recover from three defeats in its last four games with the tough assignment of overcoming fierce rival, reigning champ and runaway league leader Real (16-1).
Game Notes: Barcelona vs. Madrid

Mario Hezonja will attempt to damage his former team after being named December's league MVP, with Real seeking to complete a season sweep over the Blaugrana after edging the Round 5 meeting 65-64. A key backcourt battle will take place between Argentine international teammates Nico Laprovíttola, who leads Barca with 14.2 points per game, and the league's top ranked assister Facu Campazzo (7.0 per game). In the paint, Barca’s Jan Vesely and Willy Hernangomez will attempt to subdue Walter Tavares and Vincent Poirier, who combined for 33 points and 19 rebounds in last week’s win at ASVEL.
- This clash is the 36th Clásico in the EuroLeague since the turn of the century and Real has won one more than Barcelona so far, including a 65-64 decision in Round 5.
- Real and Barcelona met in the EuroLeague Final Four semifinals in each of the last two years and Real won both, including a 78-66 victory in Kaunas on the way to winning the 2023 EuroLeague title.
- Real edged Barcelona 86-83 in the 2022 Final Four semifinals. Guerschon Yabusele and Fabien Causeur scored 18 points apiece in that game.
- Barcelona and Real Madrid have met in the EuroLeague Final Four Semifinals on three other occasions. The first was in 1996 when Barcelona won 76-66 in Paris behind 24 points from Arturas Karnisovas. Real was victorious 67-74 in London in 2013 thanks to 17 points from Felipe Reyes. The following season, Real routed Barcelona 62-100 in Milan, where Sergio Rodriguez starred with 21 points.
- Juan Carlos Navarro made a Barcelona record 14 free throws against Real Madrid in a March 2005 game.
- Real Madrid grabbed a club record 24 offensive rebounds against Barcelona in March 2005, a mark it has matched twice since.
- Barcelona matched its EuroLeague club record with 9 blocks against Real Madrid in April 2006.
- Barcelona's single-game record for steals is 6, which Pepe Sanchez tied against Real Madrid in January 2008.
- Real's single-game record for two-pointers made by a player is 11, which Ante Tomic set on 13 attempts against FC Barcelona in March 2010.
- Barcelona center Willy Hernangomez grew up with Real Madrid, made his EuroLeague debut there in the 2012-13 season, and also played with the team during the 2015-16 season.
- Barcelona playmaker Nicolas Laprovittola spent two seasons with Real Madrid, from 2019 to 2021.
- Real swingman Mario Hezonja spent three seasons with Barcelona, from 2012 to 2015. He made his EuroLeague debut there and was a teammate of Alex Abrines for all three seasons, and a teammate of Tomas Satoransky during the 2014-15 season.
- Real's Gabriel Deck and Facundo Campazzo and Barcelona's Laprovittola have been teammates on the Argentine national team.
- Real Madrid center Walter Tavares and Barcelona's Oriol Pauli were teammates at Gran Canaria during the 2014-15 season. Together they reached the EuroCup Finals.
- Barcelona's Willy Hernangomez, Dario Brizuela, Joel Parra and Alex Abrines were teammates of Real's Rudy Fernandez and Sergio Llull on the Spanish national team at the 2023 Basketball World Cup.
- Hernangomez, Brizuela, Parra and Fernandez together won the gold medal at the EuroBasket 2022 with the Spanish national team.
- Hernangomez, Fernandez and Sergio Llull won the gold medal at the 2019 Basketball World Cup.
- Barcelona's Hernangomez and Alex Abrines have also been teammates of Real's Sergio Rodriguez on the Spanish national team and won the bronze medal at the EuroBasket 2017.
- Gabriel Deck set his career high with a PIR of 33 in a 91-86 overtime home win over Barcelona in January of last season.
- Tomas Satoransky grabbed a career-high 11 rebounds in a semifinal loss against Real last season.
- Rodriguez tied his career-high in assists with 13 playing for Real Madrid against Barcelona in January 2016.
- Real swingman Rudy Fernandez set a career-high with a performance index rating of 38 for Real Madrid against FC Barcelona in February 2015. It earned him the last of his seven MVP of the Round honors.
- Real guard Sergio Llull posted his career-best performance index rating of 32 in an 85-69 win against Barcelona in March 2017. He earned MVP of Round 27 honors for that performance.
- Barcelona guard Nicolas Laprovittola grabbed a career-high 7 rebounds against Real in February 2022.
- In the 2017 EuroLeague Final Four semifinal, Nikola Kalinic, who is now with Barcelona, led Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul to an emphatic 84-75 victory over Real Madrid with 12 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists and a career-high 4 steals.