Since the defeat against Real Madrid in October, Hansi Flick’s side has been moving forward at an impressive pace.
The Barcelona that lost the last Clásico against Real Madrid and the Barcelona now waiting for the Spanish Super Cup final look like two completely different teams. In that earlier clash, seven key players were unavailable and head coach Hansi Flick was not on the touchline. After the loss at the Santiago Bernabéu, the Spanish champions responded brilliantly, rediscovering their identity with a sharp rise in performance.
Next Sunday, Barcelona will face Real Madrid in the Super Cup final in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Since that 2–1 defeat to their arch-rivals in October, Barcelona have won nine consecutive La Liga matches. Several players have returned from injury, allowing Flick to field an almost full-strength squad.
Joan García is back and has once again become a symbol of reliability. Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, and Dani Olmo have also returned. The only absentees are Marc-André ter Stegen, Gavi, Andreas Christensen, and Ronald Araújo. Uruguayan defender Araújo has traveled with the squad to Saudi Arabia, but he will not be included in the final matchday squad.
Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso will be without David Alaba, Antonio Rüdiger, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Éder Militão, and Brahim Díaz. However, he has welcomed back Dean Huijsen, Dani Carvajal, and Dani Ceballos.
Spanish media had reported that Kylian Mbappé would miss the entire Super Cup due to injury, and Real initially announced their squad without him. However, the French forward—who has scored 24 goals in 29 matches this season—has since joined the team. His availability for the final is still uncertain. Raúl Asencio and Rodrygo are also dealing with minor fitness issues.
Since the October Clásico, both teams have played 14 matches each. Barcelona have won 12, drawn one, and lost one. Real Madrid, on the other hand, have won eight matches and drawn and lost three each.
At one point in La Liga, Real Madrid were five points clear, but they now trail by four points. They have also suffered defeats against Liverpool and Manchester City in the Champions League. Since the Clásico, Barcelona have scored 40 goals, while Real Madrid have managed 29.
This will be the fourth consecutive Spanish Super Cup final in Saudi Arabia featuring Barcelona and Real Madrid. Barcelona won the title in 2023 and 2025, while Real Madrid lifted it in 2024. Last year, Raphinha and Yamal inspired a 5–2 victory over Europe’s most successful club. This time, Barcelona booked their place in the final by thrashing Athletic Bilbao 5–0. Despite several injury concerns, Real Madrid joined them after edging past Atlético Madrid 2–1 in a thrilling contest.
