Jose Mourinho, Real Madrid manager
Photo by Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images
The month of October is set to become one of the defining periods of Real Madrid’s season.
As such, Jose Mourinho’s side faces five matches across 15 days between October 10 and October 25, with three La Liga fixtures and two Champions League games packed into a demanding schedule.
The headline fixture is, without doubt, El Clasico at Barcelona on October 25.
However, apart from that, Real Madrid will also have four important tests before they arrive at Spotify Camp Nou for the meeting with their biggest domestic rivals.
The sequence begins immediately after the international break, leaving little room for the squad to ease back into club football.
Real Madrid begin October with Villarreal and Roma tests
Real Madrid return to competitive action on October 10 when Villarreal travel to the Santiago Bernabeu.
The match will be the club’s first fixture after the international break and could prove important for building momentum before an intense run of games begins.
Jose Mourinho, Real Madrid manager
Real Madrid have very important matches ahead. (Photo by Mateo Villalba Sanchez/Getty Images)
Just four days later, Real Madrid face their first Champions League assignment of the month. They travel to Italy on October 14 to meet Roma, with the fixture corresponding to the second matchday of the group stage.
The short turnaround means the squad will have to manage two demanding matches within a matter of days.
After returning from Italy, Real Madrid will switch their attention back to La Liga.
On Sunday, October 18, Sevilla will visit the Santiago Bernabeu, giving Madrid another home fixture before the European schedule resumes.
Leipzig visit the Bernabeu before El Clasico
Real Madrid’s Champions League campaign returns on October 21, when Leipzig travel to the Bernabeu.
That fixture comes just four days before the biggest match of the month, making squad management particularly important.
Notably, Real Madrid will have little time to recover before travelling to Barcelona for El Clasico.
Match Date Competition
Real Madrid vs Villarreal 10 October La Liga
AS Roma vs Real Madrid 14 October Champions League
Real Madrid vs Sevilla 18 October La Liga
Real Madrid vs RB Leipzig 21 October Champions League
Barcelona vs Real Madrid 25 October La Liga
The meeting with the Blaugrana takes place on October 25 and represents the third La Liga game of the month for Madrid.
It is also the fixture that could carry the greatest consequences in the title race.
With Villarreal and Sevilla preceding it, Real Madrid have the opportunity to build momentum before facing Barcelona away from home.
El Clasico could define Real Madrid’s October
The sheer volume of fixtures certainly makes October a demanding month for Real Madrid, who have to balance their La Liga ambitions with their Champions League campaign while dealing with the physical demands of five matches in 15 days.
Notably, Mourinho might have to play the Villarreal clash without one of his star forwards, Kylian Mbappe, who was injured on international duty.
To make matters worse, even Vinicius Jr. is not enjoying the best run of form, meaning Mourinho has so much work to do once his players return from their international commitments.
Trent Alexander-Arnold, Real Madrid player
Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images
Trent Alexander-Arnold, Real Madrid star
Can Trent get back to his best at Real Madrid? (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)