Real Madrid will face Barcelona in the 2025 Spanish Super Cup Final this Sunday, a highly anticipated clash that follows their heavy 4-0 loss to Barça in the La Liga encounter on October 26.
While the original plan was for Madrid to seek revenge in the return leg on May 11, the Super Cup has brought the rivalry forward to Saudi Arabia. Madrid will be eager to prove that the October defeat was a rare misstep, while Barcelona aims to reaffirm their dominance, having triumphed 4-1 in last year’s Super Cup final.
Ahead of the match, tensions are running high on social media as fans of both clubs debate the upcoming showdown. For Real Madrid, one player is drawing particular concern: Ferland Mendy. Many Madrid supporters are wary of Mendy’s performance, especially after his disastrous display in the last Clasico defeat.
His performance in Thursday’s semi-final against Mallorca did little to alleviate these concerns, leading some fans to call for Eduardo Camavinga to be deployed on the left flank to combat Barcelona’s young talent, Lamine Yamal. While this would be a strategic move given Camavinga’s past success in the role, it seems unlikely to happen.
In terms of tactics, Carlo Ancelotti is expected to field a central defensive pairing of Aurélien Tchouaméni and Antonio Rüdiger, with Camavinga likely remaining in the midfield. If Tchouaméni starts at center-back, Mendy will likely keep his position at left-back, with Lucas Vázquez on the right.
In midfield, Federico Valverde and Jude Bellingham are assured starters, while Ancelotti will have to decide between Luka Modric and Dani Ceballos if he opts for a 4-3-3 formation. Alternatively, if Ancelotti chooses a four-man midfield, Camavinga could shift to left-back, replacing Mendy, while Tchouaméni would take the holding role.
Despite the fan concerns, Ancelotti is likely to stick with his plan. He has promised that the team has worked to avoid repeating the mistakes of October 26.
Speaking at a pre-match press conference, the Italian coach acknowledged the high stakes but emphasized the team’s progress since their last defeat: “We’ve improved since that match, and no one can deny that,” he said, while acknowledging that a loss would not be ideal against such a formidable opponent.
