Rabat– Barcelona and Real Madrid are set for their third showdown of the season on Saturday, meeting in the Copa del Rey final for what is expected to be another electrifying El Clasico.
The 2025 Copa del Rey final will kick off on Saturday at 10 p.m. local time at Estadio de La Cartuja in Seville. This will be the 260th competitive match between the two Spanish giants and the first time they meet in a Copa del Rey final since 2014. Fans can catch the action live on L’Equipe and SSC Sports.
Barcelona, who are chasing their 32nd title, have already defeated Real Madrid twice this season: 5-2 in the Spanish Super Cup final and 4-0 in LaLiga. Madrid, meanwhile, are aiming to win their 21st Copa crown after last lifting the trophy in 2023 against Osasuna.
Real Madrid’s head coach Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed that Kylian Mbappe is set to return after recovering from an ankle injury he sustained during the Champions League exit against Arsenal. However, concerns remain over the team’s defensive consistency following recent league performances.
Barcelona will be without key striker Robert Lewandowski due to a hamstring injury. Additionally, Alejandro Balde, Marc Casado, Marc Bernal, and goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen are all sidelined. Despite the absences, Barcelona’s young talents, including Lamine Yamal and Fermin Lopez, have stepped up impressively in recent matches.
Possible Starting XI:
Real Madrid:
Thibaut Courtois; Lucas Vazquez, Antonio Rudiger, Raul Asencio, Fran Garcia; Federico Valverde, Aurelien Tchouameni; Rodrygo, Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Jr; Kylian Mbappe
Barcelona:
Wojciech Szczesny; Jules Kounde, Ronald Araujo, Pau Curbasi, Gerard Martin; Frenkie de Jong, Pedri, Fermin Lopez; Lamine Yamal, Raphinha; Ferran Torres
.
Predicted Score
Given Barcelona’s dominance over Real Madrid in their two previous encounters this season, along with Madrid’s recent defensive struggles and Barcelona’s strong momentum, the Catalan side enters the final as slight favorites. However, Real Madrid’s firepower, especially with Mbappe back in the lineup, cannot be underestimated.
Barcelona 2-1 Real Madrid
