Don’t despair Real Madrid! The five reasons why they CAN beat Barcelona

Real Madrid go into Saturday’s Copa del Rey final against Barcelona as underdogs.

Carlo Ancelotti’s men have suffered two heavy defeats at the hands of their Catalan rivals already this season – 4-0 in the league clash at the Santiago Bernabeu and 5-2 in the Spanish Super Cup – while they trail table-toppers Barca by four points in La Liga.

So, is it a foregone conclusion that the Blaugrana will make it three out of three?

Not necessarily. Barca are not infallible and we have identified five areas that, if Madrid can get right, could prove problematic for Hansi Flick and Co.

😍 ¡ESTÁ PRECIOSO!

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Energy in midfield

Key to this, as usual, is Federico Valverde. It seems likely that Ancelotti will drop one of the ‘Fab Four’, most likely Rodrygo, and bolster the midfield area.

Aurelien Tchouameni and Dani Ceballos are fine players, as is veteran Luka Modric, but none of them possess the athleticism and energy of Valverde.

There is the obvious temptation to play him at right-back to combat the threat of Raphinha but that limits his impact. Rather than simply being a spoiler, Ancelotti must play him in his natural position and let him loose against the likes of Pedri and Frenkie de Jong.

 

Hey Jude, time to deliver

Jude Bellingham earned a reputation as Madrid’s go-to man in his first season at the Santiago Bernabeu, the England midfielder consistently popping up with important goals.

He finished with 23 goals and 13 assists in 43 games in all competitions and played a key role as Madrid landed a La Liga and Champions League double.

This season has not been as impressive, for both club and player. He still has a very respectable 13 goals and 13 assists in 46 appearances but has struggled to impact games in recent weeks.

Potentially operating just behind Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr gives him license to get forward where he can be a danger on the floor and in the air.

🛡️ @ToniRuediger
👊 @BellinghamJude pic.twitter.com/LQWAUX99lI

— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) April 24, 2025

 

Get at Barcelona’s inexperienced defence

If there’s one area in which Madrid look strong, it is attack.

In Mbappe and Vinicius Jr, the capital club possess the pace, trickery and eye for goal to trouble any defence.

And Barca’s is not rock-solid, even when at full strength. They have conceded 32 goals in 33 La Liga games, the most in the top four and more than 12th-placed Getafe.

And with Alejandro Balde injured, it looks likely the relatively inexperienced Gerard Martin will start at left-back, next to 18-year-old Pau Cubarsi.

Prior to the midweek 1-0 win over Real Mallorca, Barca had conceded three goals against both Celta Vigo and Borussia Dortmund.

 

 

Exploit the absence of Lewandowski

There are several players Barcelona can be without and it not affect the strength of the line-up. Robert Lewandowski is not one of them.

The veteran Pole remains one of the best number nines in world football, as shown by his record this season of 40 goals in 48 games.

His likely replacement, Ferran Torres, has shown himself to be a decent back-up but Barca’s main threat is likely to come in the shape of Lamine Yamal and Raphinha.

Lewandowski’s absence means more focus can go on attempting to stop Barca’s wing wizards.

👉 R⚽DRYG⚽ 👈
🏆 Copa del Rey final 2022/23
✍️ @RodrygoGoes pic.twitter.com/E5h4JL4joY

— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) April 24, 2025

 

Madrid ‘just find a way’

When it comes to getting it done on the big occasion, few can match Real Madrid. There is an aura about them, particularly in finals.

They have won the last nine Champions League finals they have contested, not losing since 1980-81, when the competition was still known as the European Cup.

They have played in five FIFA Club World Cup finals, and won them all.

They have also won three of their last four Copa del Rey finals.

It is a jaw-dropping record and, if channelled correctly, all the experience gained along the way by serial winners like Thibaut Courtois, Lucas Vazquez, Antonio Rudiger, Luka Modric, Vinicius Jr and Kylian Mbappe could prove crucial.