For the fourth consecutive time, the Supercopa de España will come down to an El Clásico between Barcelona and Real Madrid. Barcelona took down Athletic Club in a 5-0 rout in the semifinals while Real Madrid squeezed by Atletico Madrid by a 2-1 score in Xabi Alonso’s first season as manager of the club. He’ll now have a chance to win his first trophy, and it could be a significant one.
The last four winners of the Supercopa de España have then gone on to win LaLiga at the end of the season, so while Barcelona have a four-point lead domestically, Real Madrid triumphing on Sunday could deal a psychological blow to Hansi Flick’s side. Each Clásico is a compelling installment in this rivalry, and the latest could be one that defines the season. Let’s take a look at some things to watch during the match:
How to watch Barcelona vs. Real Madrid, odds
- Date: Sunday, Jan. 11 | Time: 2 p.m. ET
- Location: Alinma Bank Stadium at King Abdullah Sport City — Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
- TV: ABC | Live stream: Fubo (Try for free)
- Odds: Barcelona -105; Draw +290; Real Madrid +250
Predicted linueps
Given injuries, there will be plenty of decisions for both coaches, but the biggest is whether Kylian Mbappe will play as he suffers from a knee injury. Odds are that he won’t, but with this being a final versus a rival, Alosno could push to have his strongest side available.
Barcelona: Joan Garcia, Alejandro Balde, Pau Cubarsi, Eric Garcia, Jules Kounde, Frenkie De Jong, Pedri, Lamine Yamal, Dani Olmo, Raphinha, Ferran Torres
Real Madrid: Thibaut Courtois, Álvaro Carreras, Dean Huijsen, Raul Ascencio, Federico Valverde, Eduardo Camavinga, Aurélien Tchouaméni, Vinícius Júnior, Jude Bellingham, Rodrygo, Gonzalo García
Rodrygo is needed
Kylian Mbappe is going to be brought to Saudi Arabia for the final as the French forward deals with a knee injury, but that doesn’t mean he’ll feature in the final. Even if it’s for gamesmanship, it’s good to have Mbappe in Saudi Arabia just to give Flick something to think about, but Gonzalo Garcia has shown that he can lead the line in a pinch, and someone who stepped up in the Madrid derby was Rodrygo. The Brazilian winger has been linked with a move away from the club since Alonso took over, but with a trophy on the line, it was Rodrygo who got the eventual winning goal.
He’s made the most of limited minutes, and there’s still a major role for him to play in the Real Madrid XI, especially in a rivalry match of this magnitude. He only has three goals and six assists in all competitions this season, but cups have been when Rodrygo has shined, scoring twice and assisting two more goals in only six appearances between the Supercopa de España, Copa Del Rey, and Champions League play.
Joan Garcia to win the battle of the keepers?
Barcelona keeper Joan Garcia crossed rivalry lines, joining from Espanyol to be the number one between the sticks at Barca this past summer. After defeating Athletic Club, he’s now kept clean sheets in four consecutive matches and has been able to steady their high-wire attack. Barcelona’s high line will leave a keeper isolated, and Garcia’s reflexes help make Flick’s high line work. But in this final, he’ll duel with Thibaut Courtois. The Real Madrid keeper may be 33 now, but he still hasn’t lost a step in top-class shootouts. The Belgian has ensured for years that even when Real Madrid’s defense bends that it doesn’t break, and with Barcelona looking to enter their next era of great keepers with Marc-Andre ter Stegen not being able to stay on the pitch consistently due to injuries, Garcia will need to outduel his counterpart.
Can anyone stop Raphinha?
Real Madrid were lucky not to be overrun by Atletico Madrid, and allowing similar chances to Barcelona would see them lose this match. Facing Athletic Club, Barcelona were able to open a four-goal lead by halftime while Raphinha netted a brace. Flick was able to rotate the squad with Lamine Yamal and Dani Olmo coming off the bench, while Robert Lewandowski was an unused sub. Facing Real Madrid, they’ll fully be involved, and it’s something that could cause nightmares for what’s left of Alonso’s defense. Due to injuries, Antonio Rüdiger had to start in the semifinals, which is something that Barcelona will look to take advantage of. Federico Valverde also had to play out of position at right back. He has the work rate for the position, but these are areas that Barcelona will target and could be pivotal to who will come out on top.
