Three talking points ahead of Barcelona vs Real Madrid | Spanish Super Cup | OneFootball

Barcelona were indeed dominant in their 5-0 win over Athletic Club in the semifinal of the Spanish Super Cup earlier this week, but even that game was not without its fair share of chances for the opposition.

While the result was not in doubt even as early as the half-time whistle, the Basque side have only themselves to blame for not even threatening a comeback and Barcelona took home the massive win.

The resultant finale will be played tonight in Jeddah, and it will be a Clasico once more, as was the case last season.

Having lost the first Clasico of the season to Real Madrid, Barcelona will be motivated to turn that around and get on level terms for this season. To do so in a finale would only make it sweeter.

Barça Universal brings you three talking points ahead of Barcelona vs Real Madrid.

A Clasico sans injuries

The last time Barcelona faced off against Real Madrid, Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski, and Dani Olmo were all out through injury, as were Gavi, Andreas Christensen, and Joan Garcia.

Further, Lamine Yamal was struggling with acute pubalgia, which limited his movement as was clearly seen during the game, and even Ferran Torres had just returned from his setback and was playing after two weeks.

The story this time around, needless to say, will be very different as Hansi Flick has an almost full-strength squad at his disposal.

Raphinha’s return has been massive for Barcelona, and the Brazilian will start on the left wing against Real Madrid. Lamine Yamal, despite starting on the bench midweek, will start the final without any discomfort.

Further, the manager has both Ferran and Robert Lewandowski available for selection, and in fact, faces a dilemma as to who to hand the start. Needless to say, it can only be a positive problem for the manager to have.

All signs point to the team’s gala XI starting on the night, with even Pedri and Frenkie de Jong expected to be available in full flow. Barcelona’s goal, therefore, will be to show that the last Clasico result was only a result of their injuries and not an indication of their form.

Need for a defensive step-up

Flick will need his defensive line to step up. (Photo by Fran Santiago/Getty Images)

While Barcelona’s attack will indeed be potent enough to cause Real Madrid damage, there remains a massive doubt over whether the defence can stop Real Madrid’s red-hot attack.

The men in white have not been very effective in front of goal, but the individual quality they boast of in the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Jr., Rodrygo, and Gonzalo Garcia is massive.

With almost all of the aforementioned players expected to be available for the clash, it becomes all the more important for Barcelona’s defence to step up and ensure they do not leak goals at the back.

In the last Clasico, Wojciech Szczesny was forced to make nine saves, including six from inside the box, to limit Real Madrid to two goals, and it is clear that Flick’s strategy must change for tonight. 

For starters, it will be interesting to see if Flick opts for Eric Garcia or Gerard Martin to partner Pau Cubarsi in central defence. Alejandro Balde will start at left-back and Jules Kounde is likely to start on the right.

How high the defensive line starts and how alert they remain, needless to say, will play a massive role in deciding the result of the game. Joan Garcia will indeed be key, but the defence must seriously step up from how vulnerable they have been in recent games.

No bigger motivation than a trophy

Last season, Barcelona turned up the heat in January after they won the Spanish Super Cup. Lifting the trophy, needless to say, played a massive part in boosting their morale.

Over the next few months, they dominated La Liga and overturned the deficit to Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid, even taking the lead and consolidating their place as table-toppers.

The team have done decently well in the first half of the season this time around, but it is clear that there is still another gear to this team that has not been unlocked. The final tonight could well serve as that turning point.

Winning over Real Madrid and celebrating the title will help the team believe more in the project and in Flick’s ideologies – something that is invaluable to the squad.

More importantly, it will help the team get into a good rhythm for the crucial UEFA Champions League games, ahead where the team are currently in an uncomfortable situation.

The prize for winning, thus, extends far beyond the trophy itself and Barcelona will back themselves to hoist the first trophy of 2026 in Jeddah.