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Real Madrid and Barcelona will face off in the Spanish Supercopa final on Sunday afternoon, January 12, after both teams secured comfortable victories in their respective semifinals. Real Madrid eased past Mallorca, while Barcelona comfortably beat Athletic Club.
This will be the third consecutive season that the two Spanish giants have met in the Supercopa final, with the previous winners going on to secure the LaLiga title. Barcelona won the Supercopa in 2023, while Real Madrid took the title 2024.
Both Madrid and Barca have had ups-and-down this season, but they head into Sunday’s game in relatively good shape, with all their stars available in attack. Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior, and Jude Bellingham are showing signs of improvement, while Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal is back from injury to partner with Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski.
The Clásico showdown promises to be an exciting encounter, with both teams looking to assert their dominance in the clash scheduled to take place at the King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Sunday afternoon.
Recent Form and Head-to-Head Record
Real Madrid and Barcelona have a long and storied history, with 258 meetings between the two teams. Real Madrid lead the head-to-head record with 105 wins, while Barcelona have 101 wins, and there has been 52 draws.
In their last meeting in La Liga, Barcelona thrashed Real Madrid 4-0 at the Bernabéu in October. However, the scoreline did not reflect the balance of play, with Real Madrid having multiple chances to score. Mbappé was caught offside a career-high eight times, and his finishing was wayward. But that slump came in the midst of a dry spell of seven games with just one goal. Since then, Mbappé has been scoring more regularly, finding the net in four consecutive games in December.
Season Review: Real Madrid and Barcelona
Real Madrid have already won two trophies this season, the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Intercontinental Cup. However, their LaLiga campaign has been inconsistent, with some high-profile defeats. Carlo Ancelotti’s side started the season slowly, drawing against Mallorca and Las Palmas in August. They have also suffered defeats to Lille, AC Milan, and Liverpool in the Champions League, as well as the 4-0 thrashing at the hands of Barcelona.
Despite this, there are signs of gradual improvement. Jude Bellingham has been the star of the team, with his all-round game arguably even better than last season’s heroics. Vinícius Júnior has also been impressive, while Mbappé’s rate of goal scoring has improved.
Barcelona’s season can be divided into two parts: before November and after November. Before November, they were on a hot streak, winning 12 of 14 games, scoring four or more goals in seven of those matches, including wins against Madrid and Bayern Munich. However, since November, they have been inconsistent, winning seven out of 13 games and losing five.
Various reasons have been offered for their dip, including fatigue, mentality, and injuries. Raphinha suggested that the team was tired, while Lewandowski talked about the team’s mentality in the “smaller” games. There was also a period when they were without Yamal.
Key Clashes to Watch
One of the key clashes to watch will be between Kylian Mbappé and the Barcelona defense. Mbappé has been scoring more regularly since his dry spell, and a big performance against Barcelona on Sunday would be the highlight of his season so far.
Another key battle will be between Lamine Yamal and Ferland Mendy. Yamal showed no signs of ill effects from an ankle injury as he returned to score the second goal in Barcelona’s semifinal win against Athletic Club. Mendy knows all about the threat Yamal poses, having been dizzied by him at the Bernabéu in October.
The battle between Yamal and Mendy could decide the game. Yamal’s numbers might not be as impressive as Raphinha’s and Lewandowski’s, but Barcelona are always better when he’s on the pitch. He has started 20 games this season, and Barcelona have won 17 of them.
