Madrid out for revenge over Barca in Super final
Real Madrid is hoping to exact revenge on Barcelona for the 4-0 thumping it handed out to Los Blancos in the first Clasico of the season when the two sides meet to contest the Spanish Super Cup final in Saudi Arabia.
Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti is looking forward to what he says will be a 'special' final at King Abdullah Sport City in Jeddah, the third consecutive final between the two giants in the tournament.
Since the competition adopted its current format and moved to Saudi Arabia in 2020, Real Madrid and Barcelona have delivered some unforgettable showdowns.
Of the five editions held on Saudi territory, Los Blancos have claimed three titles (2020, 2022, and 2024), while the Blaugrana has won once, in 2023.
Athletic Club triumphed in 2021, rounding out all the winners of the new era.
Monday's (AEDT) clash will mark Real Madrid’s fifth final in Saudi Arabia and Barcelona’s fourth, with both teams seeking to add another crown to their already illustrious histories.
Barcelona leads the all-time Super Cup standings with 14 titles, while Real Madrid is just behind with 13, making this final a true tiebreaker.
In the 2023 edition, Barcelona overwhelmed Real Madrid winning 3-1 at King Fahd Stadium.
Goals from Gavi, Robert Lewandowski, and Pedri sealed the trophy for then coach Xavi Hernandez and his side, with former forward Karim Benzema scoring Real Madrid’s only goal.
In 2024, Real Madrid responded emphatically with a 4-1 triumph, highlighted by a hat-trick from Vinicius Junior.
It's that type of response Ancelotti will be looking for in 2025 after watching his side get dismantled by Barcelona in their first LaLiga meeting of the season in October last year.
Hansi Flick's side silenced Santiago Bernabeu with a 4-0 win, Robert Lewandowski bagging a brace before Lamine Yamal and Raphina added more goals in a second-half demolition job.
"You have to think about what happened in that game," Ancelotti said when speaking to the media ahead of Monday's (AEDT) showdown.
"I think we made a pretty clear assessment of what happened. We started the game well and then we had problems in the second half.
"Obviously we'll try to repeat the good things we did and try to avoid the mistakes we made in the second half."
With an extra day of rest after its semi-final win against Mallorca, Madrid will aim for revenge and to continue its recent dominance in the Super Cup.
Barcelona, which beat Athletic Club in its semi-final, will rely on key players like Lewandowski and rising star Yamal to secure the title, if the teenage sensation has fully recovered from an ankle injury that has kept him sideline for several weeks.
Flick's side is also dealing with player registration dramas and a slump in form that saw it surrender the lead in LaLiga to Atletico Madrid.
