Matches
Mendy, Rodrygo start in a 4-3-1-2 – How Real Madrid can line up against Barcelona
After stirring up controversy late on Friday evening, Real Madrid will be aiming to set things right on the field when they lock horns with Barcelona with the Copa del Rey trophy on the line.
Having been angry by the comments made by the referees leading up to the match, Los Blancos pulled out of official pre-match events like the press conference, open training session and official photo shoot.
It led to speculations that Real Madrid are considering walking away from the final of the Copa del Rey altogether, although in the end, the club confirmed that they had no such intentions and that the match will go ahead as planned.
Given the noise and controversy around the match thanks to last night’s antics, Real Madrid will go into the game with added pressure as they seek revenge on Barcelona who have already beaten them twice this season.
Carlo Ancelotti’s side have been boosted by the availability of key forward Kylian Mbappe and left-back Ferland Mendy. But Eduardo Camavinga misses out, along with long-term absentees Eder Militao and Dani Carvajal.
Here’s how Real Madrid could line up against Barcelona as they aim to win their third trophy of the season, after having won the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Intercontinental Cup.
Defence
Andriy Lunin has been the designated cup goalkeeper throughout the season and has done a solid job to help Real Madrid reach the finals. However, Carlo Ancelotti is all set to replace the Ukrainina with his regular first-choice starter Thibaut Courtois in the finale vs Barcelona.
Meanwhile, there will be some alterations to the defensive line starting with Ferland Mendy returning to the side after over a month out due to injury. He will start at left-back ahead of Fran Garcia.
Raul Asencio and Antonio Rudiger should form the centre-back pairing for the Merengues.
Federico Valverde, on the other hand, should start at right-back over Lucas Vazquez, who has struggled defensively in the big games this season, particularly against Barcelona’s Raphinha.
Midfield
Carlo Ancelotti has a major decision to make with his formation and there is a strong likelihood that he opts for an extra man in midfield by sacrificing a forward – which has been his go-to tactic for big games in recent times.
Aurelien Tchouameni will hold the fort at the base of the diamond midfield formation for Real Madrid.
The Frenchman will have support from captain Luka Modric and Dani Ceballos who will provide the creativity and balance from the centre of the park.
Moving ahead, Jude Bellingham will slot in as the lone attacking midfielder, hoping to find the back of the net like he did in the Clasico encounters last season.
Attack
Kylian Mbappe has been included in the matchday squad for the Copa del Rey final but multiple outlets report that the French megastar is not fully fit and as such a start appears unlikely tonight.
As such, Real Madrid are likely to go into the match against Barcelona with the attacking duo of Vinicius Jr. and Rodrygo Goes, who will hold the key for the current Spanish champions.
Real Madrid made a mess of their game against Elche last night, and it is clear that the men in white have several flaws with no answers at the moment.
From being 2-0 up, the men in white bottled their lead and threw the game into jeopardy by permitting Elche to score two goals. The result, as many saw it, was set to end in a draw.
With some persistent attacks in the dying minutes, however, Real Madrid managed to build pressure on Elche and eventually scored one more goal at the death to take home the three points.
Needless to say, however, the negatives from the game far outweigh the positive news of the three points.
Madrid Universal brings you three takeaways from Elche 2-3 Real Madrid.
Another second-half collapse
After Real Madrid’s win over Rayo Vallecano at the weekend, Jose Mourinho stressed the fact that Real Madrid actually played only one half and that the fatigue began showing after the break.
On the night, the opposition began to enjoy more dominance and create chances after half-time as they outran and outpressed Los Blancos to good effect.
Last night was no different, and the second half went completely awry.
The men in white entered the half-time break cruising with a 2-0 lead and significant dominance over the proceedings. They had a massive xG, with Elche barely creating any chances of note.
After the break, however, the entire dynamic of the game changed as Real Madrid took a step back and handed the impetus to the hosts. Pressing high and attacking without fear, Elche dominated Real Madrid for most of the second half and had a staggering 60% of possession.
They scored twice – in the 71st and 83rd minutes – and equalised Real Madrid on the night. Given the visitors’ shambolic display, it was deserved for Elche.
At this point, the constant second-half collapses and fatigue struggles of the team after just 45 minutes of action must worry Jose Mourinho immensely. Heading into a derby away from home, Real Madrid have to do much better.
The away curse continues
While Real Madrid’s form at home has been imperious this season, their form away from home has been equally shocking.
They began their season with a last-minute win over Espanyol, and their second league game of the season on the road came against Real Betis and ended in defeat.
Heading into their third away game last night, there was an element of worry about how they would perform, and the trend continued once more.
Real Madrid did well to take the lead on the night, but they made the second half a massive war and far more difficult than it should have been.
At this point, serious questions have to be raised about Real Madrid’s form on the road and their inability to keep games under control when playing in away stadiums.
Heading forward in the season, Los Blancos have some massive away games coming up against far more difficult opposition. The Madrid derby is up next, and the team’s form is nothing promising heading into that fixture.
Carlos Espi saves the day… again!
Real Madrid are currently on 15 points after six games in the league, but Carlos Espi has directly contributed to a massive chunk of that.
If not for the new Spanish striker’s ability to come up clutch in big moments, Real Madrid could well have been on just 11 points at this stage in the season, and the four points he has added are absolutely crucial.
Against Espanyol, it was Espi who scored a stoppage-time winner to hand Real Madrid all three points after a complicated match. Last night, he repeated the same heroics once more.
With the team staring at a draw, the new signing was at the right place at the right time to bury Kylian Mbappe’s assist in stoppage time, handing Real Madrid all three points at the death.
He may not have played a large part on the night, but his cameo was again powerful and it is clear that he elevates the team’s attack and provides new solutions in front of goal. Espi has already proven his talent, and his ability to perform under pressure is what makes him special.
Mandla
April 26, 2025 at 9:25 am
We need to believe in our players to win the match for us. Nothing is impossible.