Who: Actual Madrid vs Barcelona
What: Spanish Tremendous Cup ultimate
The place: King Abdullah Sports activities Metropolis, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
When: 10:00pm (19:00 GMT) on Sunday
Comply with Al Jazeera’s stay textual content and picture build-up and commentary stream.
Actual Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti stated his gamers can avenge their thrashing earlier this season by Barcelona by profitable the Spanish Tremendous Cup on Sunday, however provided that they prevented making the identical errors.
Hansi Flick’s Barcelona routed Los Blancos 4-0 on the Santiago Bernabeu in October in LaLiga, though a hunch earlier than the winter break helped Actual Madrid overtake them on the high of the desk.
“We’ve got to consider that sport clearly, they beat us, we had a transparent analysis of what occurred,” Ancelotti instructed a information convention Saturday earlier than the conflict in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
“We began the sport properly, then had issues within the second half, so we’ve got to try to repeat the great issues we did and keep away from the errors we made.
“The Clasico is much more pressured when it’s a ultimate, we’ve performed loads towards Barcelona and enjoying a ultimate towards them is at all times one thing particular.”
Can Madrid discover a stability for Mbappe, Bellingham and co?
Madrid, who beat Mallorca 3-0 of their semifinal on Thursday, are nonetheless trying to find a stability between assault and defence of their sport after the arrival of French celebrity Kylian Mbappe from Paris Saint-Germain final yr.
Together with Vinicius Junior, Jude Bellingham and Rodrygo Goes, the 4 gamers give Madrid a major edge going ahead however can damage the group if they aren’t centered defensively.
“[In recent Clasicos] particular person high quality has prevailed over group stability,” continued Ancelotti. “An necessary side [in the final] will probably be stability and collective work – defending.
“In the event you defend properly, there’s extra likelihood of profitable.”
Ancelotti previously said his worst memory from a successful 2024, in which Madrid won LaLiga and the Champions League, was the beating by Barcelona.
“We’re close to another trophy, we’re thinking positively, but we know that in football anything can happen, above all when the opponent is strong and competes well like Barcelona,” added Ancelotti, whose side have won both the European Super Cup and Intercontinental Cup already this season.
“Our team has improved, nobody can argue with that. A defeat wouldn’t be good, but the team is not going backwards, it will keep moving forwards.”
Will Barcelona bring the temporarily reprieved Olmo in for Gavi?
Barcelona midfielder Dani Olmo will be able to play after the Catalans were controversially granted a temporary licence for him by Spain’s National Sports Council (CSD).
The Spanish international’s clearance came too late on Wednesday for him to play a part in the Catalan club’s 2-0 semifinal win against Athletic Bilbao.
“Olmo will play and we have to minimise his quality,” said Ancelotti, who has resisted giving his opinion about the case which has aggravated Spanish football.
Flick, who changed Barca enjoying legend Xavi as coach on the finish of final season, stated Olmo was able to play however urged he may not begin after Gavi shone within the semifinal towards Athletic Bilbao within the attacking midfield function.
“Gavi had a fantastic efficiency towards Athletic, he’s received confidence … I feel he’s goes to play, however I’m not 100-percent certain of who will play,” stated Flick.
The Tremendous Cup provides the German coach his first likelihood at silverware since arriving at Barcelona.
“If we win, we could have extra confidence for the remainder of the season,” added Flick. “Profitable the sport can be one thing actually large for everybody.”
What’s the Supercopa de Espana?
The Supercopa pits collectively the winners and runners-up of each the Spanish home league, LaLiga, and Spain’s home cup competitors, Copa del Rey.
Though first performed in 1982, between the league and cup winners alone, it was expanded to 4 groups in 2020.
Actual Madrid are the present league champions, with Barcelona ending second, whereas Athletic Bilbao are the cup holders, having defeated Mallorca in final season’s ultimate.
The place will the Spanish Supercopa ultimate be performed?
This yr’s Supercopa is being staged in Saudi Arabia with all three matches staged at King Abdullah Sports activities Metropolis Stadium in Jeddah.
The venue, which performs host to the Saudi nationwide group and will probably be a part of the 2034 World Cup, has already hosted the 2 semifinals.
Who’re the Supercopa holders?
Actual Madrid gained the 2024 Supercopa, defeating Barcelona 4-1 within the ultimate.
Final yr’s version was additionally staged in Saudi Arabia, with Riyadh the host metropolis on that event.
Vinicius Junior scored a first-half hat-trick for Los Blancos, whereas Rodrygo sealed issues within the second interval after Robert Lewandowski netted the one aim for Barca.
Actual beat Madrid rivals Atletico of their semifinal, whereas Barca overcame Osasuna.
Actual Madrid group information
Aurelien Tchouameni, Federico Valverde and Jude Bellingham are all obtainable for choice for the ultimate regardless of gathering knocks in Thursday’s semifinal.
Luca Modric stays the primary doubt for Los Blancos after withdrawing on the day of the last-four victory towards Mallorca.
Eder Militao and Dani Carvajal each stay sidelined.
Actual Madrid predicted XI: Courtois; Vazquez, Asencio, Rudiger; Mendy; Valverde, Camavinga, Bellingham; Rodrygo, Mbappe, Vinicius Jr
Hansi Flick 🤝 Carlo Ancelotti#ElClásico pic.twitter.com/aVPsUtsIIC
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) January 11, 2025
Barcelona group information
Dani Olmo and Pau Victor are each obtainable to play for Barca after non permanent registrations had been granted to the pair following the membership’s protracted dispute with Spain’s supreme sports activities council.
Andreas Christensen, Marc Bernal, Marc-Andre Ter Stegen all stay absent for Barcelona, for whom the largest query is who will change the latter in aim.
Former Arsenal keeper Wojciech Szczesny was handed the gloves for the semifinal win towards Athletic Bilbao, however Inaki Pena is being tipped to take over the function for the ultimate.
Predicted Barcelona XI: Pena; Kounde, Cubarsi, Martinez, Balde; Casado, Pedri; Yamal, Olmo, Raphinha; Lewandowski
Kind information – Actual Madrid:
Actual have hit kind on the proper time with 5 straight wins recorded and 7 victories coming in an eight-match unbeaten run. Previous to that, Los Blancos had misplaced 4 of their earlier seven video games, together with their humbling at dwelling by Barca. Final 5 video games: W W W W W
Kind information – Barcelona:
Barcelona seem like slowly rising from their worst run of the season with successive wins recorded for the primary time in 11 video games. Previous to that, the Catalan membership had gained solely three of 9, with 4 defeats suffered in that run. This all got here after Hansi Flick gained 14 of his first 16 video games in cost this season. Final 5 video games: W L L W W
Head-to-head:
Actual have gained 105 of the 258 conferences between the perimeters, with Barca rising victorious on 101 events.
Actual had gained the final 4 conferences between the perimeters – together with the Spanish Tremendous Cup in January and the Copa del Rey assembly final season – earlier than October’s 4-0 defeat in LaLiga.
