MADRID, April 25 — FC Barcelona and Real Madrid are set to clash in the Copa del Rey final at the Estadio de la Cartuja in Seville on Saturday night.
Hansi Flick’s FC Barcelona side is aiming for a third victory against Real Madrid this season, following a 4-0 triumph at the Santiago Bernabeu in La Liga and a 5-2 victory in the Spanish Supercup final in Saudi Arabia in January.
Barcelona will be without three key players: top scorer Robert Lewandowski, sidelined by a hamstring injury; left-back Alejandro Balde, out due to a muscle problem; and midfielder Marc Casado, who has a long-term knee injury.
Goalkeeper Marc Andre ter Stegen, recovering from a knee injury sustained at the season’s start, is back in the squad, but Wojciech Szczesny is expected to continue in goal.
In the midweek win over Mallorca, which kept Barcelona four points ahead of Madrid in the La Liga title race, Flick rotated his squad. Frenkie de Jong, Pau Cubarsi, Raphinha, and Jules Kounde are all set to return on Saturday night, with Ferran Torres and Lamine Yamal leading Barcelona’s attack.
Real Madrid experienced two injury setbacks midweek: David Alaba suffered a muscle injury, and Eduardo Camavinga tore groin ligaments, sidelining him for at least three months. Kylian Mbappe is expected to return following a twisted ankle, but Ferland Mendy remains doubtful, with Fran Garcia likely to start at left-back.
Madrid has had 24 hours less to prepare after a narrow win over Getafe on Wednesday. Like Flick, Ancelotti rotated several of his starting XI.
Despite Ancelotti’s insistence that he is content at the Bernabeu, his future at the club remains uncertain, and a defeat could further speculation about his potential departure at season’s end or sooner to take over the Brazilian national team.
Barcelona enters the match as slight favorites, but victory for either side would provide a significant morale boost for the remainder of the campaign, which includes another “Clasico” that will be crucial in the La Liga title race. (Xinhua)
