Barcelona coach Hansi Flick has urged his team to approach the Spanish Super Cup final with a fresh mindset, setting aside their 4-0 win over Real Madrid in October’s El Clásico.
Two and a half months ago, Barcelona crushed Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu, deploying a high-line defense that repeatedly caught their rivals in offside traps. That strategy worked wonders in that La Liga match, but Flick made it clear that Barcelona won’t deviate from their playing style in Sunday’s final.
The Spanish Super Cup final will take place at the King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, with the game kicking off at 1 a.m. Bangladesh time. The Catalan giants face a daunting challenge against Real Madrid, the record 14-time champions of the competition.
In October’s La Liga clash at the Bernabéu, Barcelona’s attacking trio—Robert Lewandowski, Lamine Yamal, and Raphinha—shone brightly. Lewandowski netted a brace, while Yamal and Raphinha added a goal each, breaking Real Madrid’s impressive 42-match unbeaten streak in the league. Vinícius Júnior and Real’s star-studded attack, including Kylian Mbappé, were largely ineffective, falling into offside traps five times within the first 20 minutes.
While the high-line defense carries risks, Flick is determined to stick with it. Speaking before the final, the German coach emphasized the importance of treating the upcoming match as a fresh challenge.
“We won’t play any differently than we did in Madrid. Of course, we want to play that way and perform as a cohesive team. However, we can’t compare what happened there to this match. We’ll aim to play well,” Flick stated.
This will be Flick’s first final since taking charge of Barcelona, offering him the chance to secure his first trophy with the club. He views the match as a potential turning point for the rest of the season.
“As a coach, I’ve been part of many finals. This is a great match, the Super Cup. Winning it would boost our confidence for the rest of the season. It’s an important match for everyone,” he added.
Barcelona reached the final by defeating Athletic Bilbao 2-0 in the semi-finals, marking their third consecutive Super Cup final appearance. However, Flick acknowledged that Real Madrid would demand an even better performance.
“Real Madrid is one of the best teams in the world. We’ll need to be faster and more precise. Against Bilbao, we played well, but against Real, we’ll need to step it up. They know how to handle matches and capitalize on opportunities,” Flick explained.
In last year’s final, Vinícius Júnior’s hat trick led Real Madrid to a dominant 4-1 victory over Barcelona. A win this time would see Real Madrid match Barcelona’s record for the most Super Cup titles. However, Flick dismissed the significance of records.
“I don’t think about statistics. What I want is to win titles for the club and the team,” he concluded.
