12 January 2025
Real Madrid will face arch rival Barcelona, this evening, Sunday, in the final of the Spanish Super Cup 2024-2025, which will be held at the Shining Jewel Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Real Madrid reached the Spanish Super Cup final after defeating Mallorca (3-0) in the semi-final, while Barcelona defeated Athletic Bilbao 2-0. This final is a repeat of last year's final, during which Real Madrid succeeded in defeating Barcelona 4-1, and was crowned with the title.
All the while Madrid fans aspire to see their team redeem their humiliating loss in their last "La Liga" match, which ended in favor of the "Catalan", 4-0. After qualifying for the final match, Barcelona coach Hansi Flick gave the team players a rest so that they could regain their strength before the final against rivals Real Madrid, who returned to training on Friday evening with a closed training session. Barcelona players who participated in the semi-final match against Bilbao performed recovery training at the hotel, while the rest of the players trained at the sports complex attached to King Abdullah Stadium in Jeddah, which will host the final.
The Blaugrana team returned to training yesterday, Saturday, with an evening training session at the sports complex attached to the stadium. Most of Barcelona players are present under Flick's command in preparation for the final match, including Dani Olmo and Pau Victor, after the Spanish Supreme Sports Council decided to grant them a temporary license to participate with their team, which was officially formalized.
As for Real Madrid, after its victory over Mallorca 3-0, the team trained behind closed doors at the King Abdullah Sports Complex on Friday, and completed its preparations on Saturday evening. Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric trained with the team on Friday after missing the Spanish Super Cup semi-final against Mallorca due to a viral infection. He is now available for the final against Barcelona, as are Jude Bellingham and Federico Valverde, who finished the match with muscle strain. Modric underwent a recovery session with the main players on Friday, in addition to the same match training session with all the players on Saturday. The 39-year-old player is seeking to lift his 29th title with Real and his third this season after the European and Intercontinental Super Cups. As for both Bellingham and Valverde, despite the muscle strain, they are ready for the match. For his part, Frenchman Aurelien Tchouameni feels fine after being substituted as a precaution after suffering a strong blow to the head. After missing the match against Mallorca, Real Madrid president Florentino Perez is expected to attend the final, along with Barcelona president Joan Laporta.
The Spanish referee, Jesus Gil Manzano, will referee the final match, the Royal Spanish Football Federation announced last Monday.
