El Clásico arrives with Real Madrid battling more than Barcelona: inside the mood shift at Valdebebas

Real Madrid head into Sunday’s El Clásico under a cloud of reported dressing-room tension, with claims of fractured communication and a training-ground confrontation between key midfielders. With the season’s narrative on the line, Carlo Ancelotti’s biggest task may be restoring unity before facing a Barcelona side that thrives on chaos in the opposition camp.