Barcelona v Real Madrid: Spanish Super Cup final in Saudi Arabia | OneFootball

Barcelona and Real Madrid will face each other this Sunday, January 11, starting at 16:00 (Argentina time), at the King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, for the final of the 2026 Spanish Super Cup.

The tournament, which for some years now has been played in January and outside European territory due to a commercial agreement with the RFEF, will be officiated by José Luis Munuera Montero.

Barcelona reaches the final after a crushing semifinal against Athletic Club, whom they thrashed 5-0 with a devastating first-half performance. Hansi Flick’s team imposed their game through possession and offensive intensity, with Raphinha as the standout player and a collective performance that confirmed the great form of the Catalan side.

With the match quickly decided, the coach took the opportunity to rotate players and conserve energy, but left an image of solidity that positions them as a serious contender for the title.

Real Madrid, on the other hand, had a more complicated path to the decisive match. Xabi Alonso’s team defeated Atlético de Madrid 2-1 in a tense derby, where individual quality was key to holding onto the lead.

A free-kick goal from Federico Valverde opened the scoring and Rodrygo extended the lead, before Alexander Sørloth pulled one back. The final stretch was nerve-wracking for “Los Merengues,” who also finished with several injured players, but managed to secure their place in the final.

In the most recent encounters, the Catalans won the last final 5-2, while the last LaLiga clash, in October, was a 2-1 win for the Whites at the Bernabéu.

All eyes will be on key players. For Barcelona, Lamine Yamal will return to the starting lineup after coming off the bench in the semifinals, while Joan García faces a trial by fire in goal.

For Real Madrid, Vinicius Jr. will look to find the net again against his classic rival, while Gonzalo is shaping up as the offensive reference given the possible limited presence of Kylian Mbappé, who is expected to be a substitute after his injury.

Match Details

Probable lineups

Barcelona: Joan García; Jules Koundé, Pau Cubarsí, Eric García, Alejandro Balde; Pedri, Frenkie de Jong; Lamine Yamal, Fermín López, Raphinha; Ferran Torres. Coach: Hansi Flick.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.