Barcelona will aim to complete the defence of the Supercopa de Espana title when they lock horns with Real Madrid in the final at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium on Sunday evening. Hansi Flick has no new issues to worry about ahead of his side’s latest fixture.
Marc-Andre ter Stegen (unspecified), Andreas Christensen (knee), and Gavi (knee) are the only players in the treatment room. However, Ronald Araujo may be in the matchday squad for the Spanish Super Cup final.
Additionally, Lamine Yamal is fit and ready to start after coming off the bench in the semi-final against Athletic Club. Meanwhile, during his pre-match press conference, Flick discussed the kind of football he wanted his team to play in the second El Clasico of the 2025/26 season.
The Barcelona manager said, “It’s the Clasico and I want to see the same thing as against Athletic Club. That we play as a team, united. That’s what I want to see. I want them to show me their best on the pitch. For me, that’s the most important thing. What we want is to put on a great performance and play good football. We’re focused on the match and I trust my players to do well. We’ll try to give our best version to win.
Meanwhile, during his presser, Flick kept his cards close to his chest when pressed by the media about the composition of his team in the Spanish Super Cup final. However, the German tactician confirmed Lamine Yamal was fit and ready to start against Real Madrid.
The Barcelona boss said, “I was very pleased with Wednesday’s performance. But we also have other options. Frenkie [De Jong] and Eric [Garcia] can play. Gerard [Martin] is having a fantastic season. Today we have our final training session; we’ll see what we need. Everyone is available. We’ll decide then. Yes, all the players are ready to be on the team. It’s great to have them all with us.”
Joan Garcia is an automatic pick between the sticks, with Barcelona lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him against Real Madrid on Sunday. The backline will feature Jules Kounde, Pau Cubarsi, Eric Garcia, and Alejandro Balde.
As for the midfield unit, Pedri and Frenkie de Jong will pair up in the double pivot, with Fermin Lopez reprising the no. 10 role. Finally, Ferran Torres will lead the line for the Blaugrana against Real Madrid, with Raphinha and Lamine Yamal being the two wide attackers. So, Dani Olmo, Marcus Rashford, and Robert Lewandowski will be among the backup options on the bench.
Predicted Barcelona XI: Joan Garcia; Kounde, Cubarsi, Eric Garcia, Balde; Pedri, de Jong; Yamal, Raphinha, Fermin; Ferran Torres
