Historic rivals Barcelona and Real Madrid are set to face off in the Spanish Super Cup final this Sunday—yes, you read that right—in Saudi Arabia.
Barcelona secured their spot by defeating Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday, while Real Madrid edged past local rivals Atletico Madrid the following day with a 2-1 victory, setting up a thrilling Clasico final.
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This tournament has evolved from featuring just the Copa del Rey and La Liga champions to now including four teams: the finalists of the previous Copa del Rey along with the first- and second-place finishers in La Liga.
Having claimed last season’s La Liga title and the Copa del Rey trophy, Barcelona took advantage of their position, while Atletico Madrid and Bilbao qualified for this year’s tournament as the third and fourth place teams in La Liga.
The Blaugranas hold the record for the most Spanish Super Cups with 15 victories, compared to Real Madrid’s 13. Currently, Barcelona leads La Liga with 49 points, four ahead of Real Madrid, who can point to their 2-1 victory over Barcelona in the October Clasico.
For live highlights of the Barcelona vs Real Madrid clash, be sure to check out PST’s live blog coverage below.
How to watch El Clasico — Barcelona vs Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup Final: start time and more
Kick-off time: 2 PM ET, Sunday
Venue: King Abdullah Sports City — Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
TV Channel: ABC
Streaming: ESPN+, Fubo
Barcelona team news and focus
Gavi and Andreas Christensen are long-term absentees, and Marc-Andre ter Stegen has recently suffered another injury, potentially affecting his participation.
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With several key players sidelined, Barcelona has had to diversify their attacking force. Raphinha has returned to form with nine goals and four assists in just over 1,000 minutes. Lamine Yamal is stepping up, and Fermin Lopez alongside Marcus Rashford are valuable contributors. Robert Lewandowski has netted nine goals in 945 minutes, while Ferran Torres is currently the leading scorer. Rising talents like Dani Olmo and Roony Bardghji have also made positive impacts in limited appearances.
Eric Garcia and Pedri are enjoying excellent seasons and will be crucial to Barcelona’s performance when available.
Real Madrid team news and focus
There are a few recent injury concerns for Real Madrid. Kylian Mbappe’s unexpected travel to Jeddah raises hopes, given he wasn’t initially expected to play. Other players, including Antonio Rudiger (knee), Marco Asensio (knock), and Rodrygo (hamstring), are also facing fitness issues.
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Mbappe has been in sensational form, scoring 29 goals in 24 matches this season, with no other player on the team surpassing five. Vinicius Junior and Arda Guler have also made double-digit contributions, but the attack has largely relied on Mbappe. Jude Bellingham has found some rhythm recently, with a goal and an assist in his last three games, although this season has been somewhat underwhelming considering his outstanding previous campaign.
Barcelona vs Real Madrid prediction
As the saying goes, “anything can happen,” and Barcelona’s extra day of rest following their comfortable win gives them an advantage, especially in light of Real’s injury woes. Xabi Alonso will be eager to secure a win and a trophy, but it may not be his time just yet. Barcelona 2-1 Real Madrid.