Summary of the Real Madrid and Barcelona match: Super Cup Final, El Clasico, team news | Football news

from: Real Madrid vs Barcelona
What: Spanish Super Cup final
where: King Abdullah Sports City, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
when: 10:00 pm (19:00 GMT) on Sunday
Follow the live broadcast of texts, photos and comments on Al Jazeera.

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said his players can avenge their humiliating loss to Barcelona earlier this season by winning the Spanish Super Cup on Sunday, but only if they avoid making the same mistakes.

Hansi Flick Barcelona beat Los Blancos 4-0 At the Santiago Bernabeu in October in La Liga, although a slump before the winter break helped Real Madrid overtake them at the top of the table.

“We have to think about that match, they beat us, and we had a clear assessment of what happened,” Ancelotti said in a press conference on Saturday before the confrontation in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

“We started the game well, then we had problems in the second half, so we have to try to repeat the good things we did and avoid the mistakes we made.

“El Clásico is under more pressure when it is a final. We played a lot against Barcelona and playing the final against them is always something special.”

Can Madrid find a balance for Mbappe, Bellingham and his teammates?

Madrid who Won Mallorca 3-0 The team is still searching for a balance between attack and defense in the semi-final match on Thursday, after the arrival of French star Kylian Mbappe from Paris Saint-Germain last year.

Along with Vinicius Junior, Jude Bellingham and Rodrigo Goes, the four players give Real Madrid a huge advantage in attack but could hurt the team if they are not focused defensively.

Ancelotti continued: “(In the last El Clasico) individual quality prevailed over team balance.” “One of the important aspects (in the final) will be balance, teamwork and defence.

“If you defend well, you will have a greater chance of winning.”

Ancelotti said earlier that his worst memory from the successful 2024, in which Real Madrid won the Spanish League and the Champions League, was the defeat against Barcelona.

Ancelotti, whose team won the European Super Cup, added: “We are close to another title, and we are thinking positively, but we know that anything can happen in football, especially when the opponent is strong and competes well like Barcelona.” Cup and Intercontinental Cup already this season.

“Our team has improved, and no one can argue with that. Defeat will not be good, but the team will not go backwards, but will continue to move forward.”

Will Barcelona bring in the temporarily postponed Olmo in place of Gavi?

Barcelona midfielder Dani Olmo will be able to play after the Catalan side were controversially granted a temporary license by Spain’s National Sports Council (CSD).

The Spanish international’s statement came too late on Wednesday for him to play a role in it The Catalan club won 2-0 in the semi-finals Against Athletic Bilbao.

Ancelotti, who refused to give his opinion on this issue that angered Spanish football, said: “Olmo will play and we have to reduce his level.”

Flick, who replaced Barcelona legend Xavi as coach at the end of last season, said Olmo was ready to play but indicated he might not start after Javi’s brilliance in the semi-final against Athletic Bilbao in an attacking midfield role.

Flick said: “Javi had a great performance against Athletic, he has confidence… I think he will play, but I am not 100 percent sure who will play.”

The Super Cup offers the German coach his first chance to win silverware since arriving at Barcelona.

Flick added: “If we win, we will have more confidence for the rest of the season.” “Winning the game would be really big for everyone.”

What is the Spanish Super Cup?

The Super Cup brings together the winners and runners-up of both Spain’s domestic league, LaLiga, and Spain’s domestic cup competition, Copa del Rey.

Although it was first played in 1982, between league and cup winners only, it was expanded to include four teams in 2020.

Real Madrid holds the current league title, while Barcelona occupies second place, while Athletic Bilbao occupies the cup title, after defeating Mallorca in the final last season.

Where will the Spanish Super Cup final be held?

This year’s Super Cup will be held in Saudi Arabia, with all three matches taking place at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah.

The stadium, which hosts the Saudi national team and will be part of the 2034 World Cup, has already hosted two semi-final matches.

Who are the Super Cup holders?

Real Madrid won the 2024 Super Cup, after defeating Barcelona 4-1 in the final.

Last year’s edition was also held in Saudi Arabia, with Riyadh being the host city on that occasion.

Vinicius Junior scored a hat-trick in the first half for Los Blancos, while Rodrigo settled matters in the second half after Robert Lewandowski scored Barcelona’s only goal.

Real Madrid defeated its rival Atletico Madrid in the semi-finals, while Barcelona defeated Osasuna.

Real Madrid team news

Aurelien Chouamini, Federico Valverde and Jude Bellingham are all available for selection for the final despite suffering knocks in Thursday’s semi-final.

Luka Modric remains the main doubt for Los Blancos after withdrawing on the day of their quarter-final win over Mallorca.

Eder Militao and Dani Carvajal are absent from the field.

Real Madrid expected lineup: politeness; Vazquez, Asensio, Rudiger; Mindy. Valverde, Camavinga, Bellingham; Rodrigo, Mbappe, Vinicius Junior

Hansi Flick 🤝 Carlo Ancelotti#El Clásico pic.twitter.com/aVPsUtsIIC

– FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) January 11, 2025

Barcelona team news

Dani Olmo Pau Victor is available to play for Barcelona after provisional registrations were granted to the pair following the club’s protracted dispute with Spain’s Supreme Sports Council.

Andreas Christensen, Marc Bernal and Marc-Andre ter Stegen remain absent from Barcelona, ​​and the biggest question for them is who will replace the latter in goal.

Former Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny has been handed the gloves for the semi-final win over Athletic Bilbao, but Iñaki Pena is tipped to take over in the final.

Barcelona expected lineup: punishment; Conde, Cobarci, Martinez, Balde; Casado, Pedri; Yamal, Olmo, Ravinha; Lewandowski

Form Guide – Real Madrid:

Real Madrid reached form at the right time as they recorded five straight wins and seven wins in eight matches without defeat. Before that, Los Blancos had lost four of their previous seven matches, including a home defeat to Barcelona. Last five matches: WWWWW

Form Guide – Barcelona:

Barcelona appear to be slowly emerging from their worst run of the season with back-to-back wins for the first time in 11 matches. Before that, the Catalan club had won only three out of nine, suffering four defeats in that round. All of this came after Hansi Flick won 14 of his first 16 matches this season. Last five matches: WLLWW

Face to face:

Real Madrid won 105 of the 258 confrontations between the two sides, while Barcelona won 101 occasions.

Real Madrid had won the last four meetings between the two teams – including the Spanish Super Cup in January and last season’s Copa del Rey encounter – before a 4-0 defeat in October in the Spanish League.