Real Madrid is eager to avenge their loss in October’s El Clásico during the Spanish Super Cup final.
It has been two and a half months since Barcelona handed Real Madrid a crushing defeat in the season’s first El Clásico. As the two fierce rivals prepare to face off again, memories of that match are resurfacing. Federico Valverde admitted that after the embarrassing loss, they struggled to sleep at night. Now, Real Madrid is determined to exact revenge at any cost in the Spanish Super Cup final.
On Sunday, Real Madrid, 14-time champions of the competition, will take on Barcelona in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The match at King Abdullah Sports City will kick off at 1 a.m. Bangladesh time.
In October, Real Madrid suffered a 4-0 defeat to Barcelona in a La Liga match at home, conceding all four goals in the second half.
A lot has changed since then. After a strong start to the season, Barcelona lost their rhythm and have won just five of their last 11 matches in all competitions, with four losses and two draws. Meanwhile, Real Madrid has won their last five games in a row, climbing to the top of the La Liga table.
Ahead of the Super Cup final, Valverde shared the team’s mindset in the dressing room.
“We have a strong desire for revenge after losing 4-0. It was hard to sleep that night because we never imagined losing in that way. We had chances to score in the first half, but they played better in the second, and we couldn’t do much. That loss gave us the strength to improve and become the team we are today.”
This will be Real Madrid’s second final in less than a month. Last month, Carlo Ancelotti’s team defeated Pachuca of Mexico 3-0 to win the FIFA Intercontinental Cup.
The 26-year-old Valverde emphasized the importance of retaining the Super Cup to boost their confidence for the remainder of the season.
“Tomorrow (Sunday) is another very important final for us. It’s the first trophy of the year. After a tough few months earlier this season, we’re in good form now, and tomorrow is a great chance to gain confidence.”
“This trophy is vital because it will give us momentum for the rest of the season. The most challenging part of the season is coming up. Every time we’ve won this trophy, it has energized us.”
Last January, Real Madrid defeated Barcelona 4-1 in the Spanish Super Cup final, thanks to a hat-trick from Vinícius Júnior. They went on to win the La Liga and Champions League titles later that year.
