from: Real Madrid vs Barcelona
What: Spanish Super Cup final
where: King Abdullah Sports City, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
when: 10:00 pm (19:00 GMT) on Sunday
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Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said his players can avenge their humiliating loss to Barcelona earlier this season by winning the Spanish Super Cup on Sunday, but only if they avoid making the same mistakes.

Hansi Flick Barcelona beat Los Blancos 4-0 At the Santiago Bernabeu in October in La Liga, although a slump before the winter break helped Real Madrid overtake them at the top of the table.

“We have to think about that match, they beat us, and we had a clear assessment of what happened,” Ancelotti said in a press conference on Saturday before the confrontation in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

“We started the game well, then we had problems in the second half, so we have to try to repeat the good things we did and avoid the mistakes we made.

“El Clásico is under more pressure when it is a final. We played a lot against Barcelona and playing the final against them is always something special.”

Can Madrid find a balance for Mbappe, Bellingham and his teammates?

Madrid who Won Mallorca 3-0 The team is still searching for a balance between attack and defense in the semi-final match on Thursday, after the arrival of French star Kylian Mbappe from Paris Saint-Germain last year.

Along with Vinicius Junior, Jude Bellingham and Rodrigo Goes, the four players give Real Madrid a huge advantage in attack but could hurt the team if they are not focused defensively.

“[In recent Clasicos] “Individual quality overcame team balance,” Ancelotti continued. “An important aspect [in the final] There will be balance and teamwork – defence.

“If you defend well, you will have a greater chance of winning.”

Ancelotti previously said his worst memory from a successful 2024, in which Madrid won LaLiga and the Champions League, was the beating by Barcelona.

“We’re close to another trophy, we’re thinking positively, but we know that in football anything can happen, above all when the opponent is strong and competes well like Barcelona,” added Ancelotti, whose side have won both the European Super Cup and Intercontinental Cup already this season.

“Our team has improved, nobody can argue with that. A defeat wouldn’t be good, but the team is not going backwards, it will keep moving forwards.”

Will Barcelona bring the temporarily reprieved Olmo in for Gavi?

Barcelona midfielder Dani Olmo will be able to play after the Catalans were controversially granted a temporary licence for him by Spain’s National Sports Council (CSD).

The Spanish international’s clearance came too late on Wednesday for him to play a part in the Catalan club’s 2-0 semifinal win against Athletic Bilbao.

“Olmo will play and we have to minimise his quality,” said Ancelotti, who has resisted giving his opinion about the case which has aggravated Spanish football.

Flick, who replaced Barcelona legend Xavi as coach at the end of last season, said Olmo was ready to play but indicated he might not start after Javi’s brilliance in the semi-final against Athletic Bilbao in an attacking midfield role.

Flick said: “Javi had a great performance against Athletic, he has confidence… I think he will play, but I am not 100 percent sure who will play.”

The Super Cup offers the German coach his first chance to win silverware since arriving at Barcelona.

Flick added: “If we win, we will have more confidence for the rest of the season.” “Winning the game would be really big for everyone.”

What is the Spanish Super Cup?

The Super Cup brings together the winners and runners-up of both Spain’s domestic league, LaLiga, and Spain’s domestic cup competition, Copa del Rey.

Although it was first played in 1982, between league and cup winners only, it was expanded to include four teams in 2020.

Real Madrid holds the current league title, while Barcelona occupies second place, while Athletic Bilbao occupies the cup title, after defeating Mallorca in the final last season.

Where will the Spanish Super Cup final be held?

This year’s Super Cup will be held in Saudi Arabia, with all three matches taking place at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah.

The stadium, which hosts the Saudi national team and will be part of the 2034 World Cup, has already hosted two semi-final matches.

Who are the Super Cup holders?

Real Madrid won the 2024 Super Cup, after defeating Barcelona 4-1 in the final.

Last year’s edition was also held in Saudi Arabia, with Riyadh being the host city on that occasion.

Vinicius Junior scored a hat-trick in the first half for Los Blancos, while Rodrigo settled matters in the second half after Robert Lewandowski scored Barcelona’s only goal.

Real Madrid defeated its rival Atletico Madrid in the semi-finals, while Barcelona defeated Osasuna.

Real Madrid team news

Aurelien Chouamini, Federico Valverde and Jude Bellingham are all available for selection for the final despite suffering knocks in Thursday’s semi-final.

Luka Modric remains the main doubt for Los Blancos after withdrawing on the day of their quarter-final win over Mallorca.

Eder Militao and Dani Carvajal are absent from the field.

Real Madrid expected lineup: politeness; Vazquez, Asensio, Rudiger; Mindy. Valverde, Camavinga, Bellingham; Rodrigo, Mbappe, Vinicius Junior

Hansi Flick 🤝 Carlo Ancelotti#El Clásico pic.twitter.com/aVPsUtsIIC

– FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) January 11, 2025

Barcelona team news

Dani Olmo Pau Victor is available to play for Barcelona after provisional registrations were granted to the pair following the club’s protracted dispute with Spain’s Supreme Sports Council.

Andreas Christensen, Marc Bernal and Marc-Andre ter Stegen remain absent from Barcelona, ​​and the biggest question for them is who will replace the latter in goal.

Former Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny has been handed the gloves for the semi-final win over Athletic Bilbao, but Iñaki Pena is tipped to take over in the final.

Barcelona expected lineup: punishment; Conde, Cobarci, Martinez, Balde; Casado, Pedri; Yamal, Olmo, Ravinha; Lewandowski

Form Guide – Real Madrid:

Real Madrid reached form at the right time as they recorded five straight wins and seven wins in eight matches without defeat. Before that, Los Blancos had lost four of their previous seven matches, including a home defeat to Barcelona. Last five matches: WWWWW

Form Guide – Barcelona:

Barcelona appear to be slowly emerging from their worst run of the season with back-to-back wins for the first time in 11 matches. Before that, the Catalan club had won only three out of nine, suffering four defeats in that round. All of this came after Hansi Flick won 14 of his first 16 matches this season. Last five matches: WLLWW

Face to face:

Real Madrid won 105 of the 258 confrontations between the two sides, while Barcelona won 101 occasions.

Real Madrid had won the last four meetings between the two teams – including the Spanish Super Cup in January and last season’s Copa del Rey encounter – before a 4-0 defeat in October in the Spanish League.