Barcelona vs Real Madrid: Copa del Rey final preview

2025-04-26T07:40:00Z

Real Madrid and Barcelona face off with Spanish royalty on the line in the Copa del Rey final at the Estadio La Cartuja on Saturday, April 26th at 22:00 local time. Carlo Ancelotti’s side will look to clinch their third title of the season after winning the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Intercontinental Cup.

Los Blancos have called up Ferland Mendy and Kylian Mbappe to the game after they missed the Getafe outing on Wednesday due to fitness issues, although Dani Carvajal, Eduardo Camavinga and Eder Militao have been ruled out. They will still travel with the team as their supporting cast.

Endrick is the team’s top scorer in the Kings Cup this season with five strikes to his name, including a goal in either leg of the semi-final against Real Sociedad but it is unlikely that the Brazilian international will be handed a start in El Clasico due to his lack of experience on the big stage.

Barcelona’s most noteworthy absentees for the game are Alejandro Balde, Marc Casado and Robert Lewandowski. Marc-Andre ter Stegen has made the squad after a lengthy layoff due to an ACL injury but is unlikely to be handed a starting berth ahead of the in-form Wojciech Szczesny.

Ferran Torres is Barca’s top scorer in the cup with five goals under his belt as well, and unlike the Real Madrid talisman in the tournament, he is expected to start from the word go as a result of Lewandowski’s injury. The Catalans have no suspension problems coming into the game, like their rivals.

Ancelotti could opt in favour of using a 4-4-2 which gave the team a lot of success last season, and worked superbly against Athletic Bilbao in La Liga last weekend. Consequently, Rodrygo Goes might lose his place in the team but will surely be a handy asset off the bench for Real Madrid.

Rodrygo Goes [Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images]

There has already been refereeing controversy ahead of the game with Ricardo De Burgos Bengoetxea, the on-field official, and Pablo Gonzalo Fuertes, the VAR lead, uncharacteristically presenting themselves in a pre-match press conference and thus being condemned for their behaviour by Los Merengues.

It remains to be seen if the match officials are changed by the RFEF amid widespread speculation on the issue. Nonetheless, the two clubs and fans will hope that the men in charge of proceedings are not in the headlines and possibly the biggest fixture in world football lives up to the billing.

Barcelona have already had Real Madrid’s number twice this season, thanks to a 4-0 win in La Liga at the Santiago Bernabeu and a 5-2 thumping in the Spanish Super Cup final in Saudi Arabia. Los Merengues will hope to come better this time out and claim a title prior to the home stretch of the league title race.

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