FC Barcelona’s Cubarsí Drops Shocking Warning About Real Madrid Star Ahead of El Clásico—Who’s the Real Threat?

The countdown to one of football’s most electrifying battles is nearly over: FC Barcelona and Real Madrid are set to lock horns at the iconic Santiago Bernabéu this Sunday. Both giants are tooth-and-nail in the race for the La Liga summit, yet amidst the anticipation, it’s young Barcelona defender Pau Cubarsí who’s throwing down the gauntlet—not about the usual suspect Vinicius Junior, mind you. Instead, his focus zeroes in on a different predator prowling Real Madrid’s ranks, a player who’s been lighting up the pitch with relentless precision. It’s a tip-off that demands every Barça player’s undivided attention because when it comes to El Clásico, overlooking a top-tier threat is simply not an option. LEARN MORE .

The La Liga clash between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid is just around the corner, with the game at the Santiago Bernabéu set to take place on Sunday. With both teams battling for the top spot in the league, young defender Pau Cubarsí has issued a warning to his teammates, and it wasn’t about Vinicius Junior.

Vinicius remains one of Real Madrid’s biggest weapons, but the winger has struggled to find his best form under Xabi Alonso. Among Los Blancos’ many stars, one continues to shine brightest, Kylian Mbappé, who has taken the lead as Madrid’s main offensive threat with his consistent goalscoring performances.

Speaking to the media on Wednesday, Cubarsí was asked about the challenge of defending the French striker and delivered a clear message to his teammates. “Everyone knows who Mbappé is. We have to keep an eye on him and on all of Real Madrid’s players, who are world-class,” said Cubarsí, who is expected to start at the heart of Barcelona’s defense.

The Spanish defender also acknowledged the risks of playing with such a high defensive line: “We’ve adjusted four things, and it should work well for us. We’ll have to stop him in the best way possible, but above all, we need to focus on ourselves.“

Kylian Mbappe of Real Madrid against Getafe.

Mbappé currently sits atop both the La Liga and Champions League scoring charts, with 10 and 5 goals respectively. Although his 11-game scoring streak recently came to an end against Juventus on Wednesday, the French star remains one of Real Madrid’s biggest threats heading into El Clásico.

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While Mbappé is in great form, he and Real Madrid will face a tough test against a Barcelona side that has dominated recent encounters. During the 2024-25 season, Los Blancos lost all four meetings against their archrivals across all competitions, including two finals (the Copa del Rey and Spanish Super Cup), and suffered a humiliating 0-4 defeat at the Santiago Bernabéu.

Cubarsí also recalled the 5-2 win in the Supercopa but emphasized that the locker room is staying grounded despite fan excitement: “We want to play a good game and take all three points. The fans enjoy the ‘manita,’ but we’re calm. We want to score as many goals as possible while keeping a clean sheet.”