Reaffirming strength
Real Madrid overcame their city rivals Atletico Madrid in the second semi-final on the morning of January 9th with a hard-fought victory. Federico Valverde scored after a long goal drought, while Rodrygo continued his brilliant form in his fifth consecutive appearance, both scoring and assisting.
Despite winning the Madrid derby, Real Madrid still can't be complacent about their defense, which has only kept 2 clean sheets in their last 11 matches across all competitions. Without the brilliance of goalkeeper Courtois, the "Los Blancos" would likely struggle to advance. Atletico Madrid had 22 shots throughout the match but only managed one goal, something Barcelona will undoubtedly do much better in the upcoming final.
Without their star player Kylian Mbappé, Real Madrid will struggle to compete on equal terms with Barcelona. (Image: LA LIGA)
Barcelona entered the second "El Clasico" of the season with a significant psychological advantage. Before their 1-2 defeat to Real Madrid in La Liga in October 2025, the Catalan team had won five consecutive Clasico matches, including a resounding 5-2 victory in the Super Cup final last season.
Barcelona's attack thrashed Bilbao 5-0 in the semi-finals, so they are extremely eager to avenge their defeat at the Bernabeu four months earlier, especially with several key players absent due to injury.
Therefore, the "El Clasico" in Jeddah is seen as an opportunity for Barcelona to reaffirm their strength in high-stakes encounters. Barca are leading La Liga after a streak of 9 consecutive wins, demonstrating remarkable stability and resilience.
aptitude test
Although not entirely reassured about their defense, Barcelona still place complete faith in goalkeeper Joan Garcia, who has kept five consecutive clean sheets since returning from injury. Center-back Ronald Araujo is likely to return after stabilizing his mental state, and former player Joao Cancelo is ready to make a comeback on loan from Al-Hilal; however, coach Hansi Flick will certainly not be quick to overlook the team's current stability.
Still having to use Federico Valverde at right-back, and with their main striker Kylian Mbappé certainly out for several more weeks, Real Madrid don't have many "trump cards" for the final. That's why coach Alonso's team have put aside the goal of "avenging" their heavy defeat in last season's final, instead focusing their efforts on the crucial match on the morning of January 12th.
Spanish football experts are questioning Real Madrid's chances of winning against Barcelona, with very unfavorable odds predicted by various agencies. The country's media even suggests that if Real Madrid stumble in the Spanish Super Cup final, coach Alonso will likely face the toughest test of his abilities since the beginning of the season.
Real Madrid currently sit second in La Liga and hope this title will be their first major achievement under coach Alonso. However, facing a high-flying and experienced Barcelona side in cup finals, Real Madrid are certainly about to face an immense challenge.
Source: https://nld.com.vn/nong-bong-sieu-cup-tay-ban-nha-196260109205229373.htm
