Real Madrid’s season and Barcelona’s treble hopes hang in the balance as the two sides meet Saturday in the Copa del Rey final. With games coming thick and fast as we reach the run in of the season, both sides will have injury issues to deal with when it comes to setting up for the match. Barcelona will be without Alejandro Balde and Robert Lewandowski, while Real Madrid has picked up new injuries to David Alaba and Eduardo Camavinga. And in a shock the side announced that star striker Kylian Mbappe will not be in the starting lineup.
Both managers have needed to balance numerous injuries with getting the best out of their teams all season, but now a trophy is on the line, and the decisions made will loom larger. We got to see our first look at Barcelona without Lewandowski when they faced Mallorca, winning 1-0. Hansi Flick’s men took 40 shots during the game but were unable to find their finishing touch. With players like Raphinha rested during the game, that won’t be a huge concern, especially since one thing that did stand out was the interchanges between Dani Olmo and Ferran Torres.
It was tough to tell which was the striker and which was the midfielder, as they kept the defense on their toes by not knowing where each would pop up. Add Lamine Yamal and Raphinha to that, and it could be an absolute nightmare for Madrid’s ailing defense to keep up with. Pedri is having an excellent season, setting the pace behind them, and that’s where Madrid will need to focus on.
Federico Valverde will have part of the assignment of keeping an eye on Pedri, but not having Camavinga will also be a blow. A versatile midfielder who can also slot into defensive positions if needed, Camavinga is a critical piece of Madrid’s setup, but this cup final will likely call for Luca Modric. Getting a full rest during the week, the 39-year-old Croatian will be fresh for this match just when he’s needed.
Despite Camavinga and Aurelien Tchouameni being part of the equation to move on from Modric, he just won’t go away, appearing in 30 league matches for Los Blancos this season.
The other shocker is of course the absence of Mbappe. His arrival was supposed to bring with it a new era of trophies for Real Madrid but instead it has just brought imbalance to the attack. He has had his times of going on goalscoring tears, but it hasn’t all come together on the biggest stage for Madrid yet. With Barcelona’s high line looking to catch forwards offside, Mbappe would be someone who could stretch the back line while Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Junior operated around him. Without him it remains to be seen who will step up in attack next to Vini Jr.
Things favor Barcelona in their treble quest. That doesn’t mean that Real Madrid can’t win this, but they’ll need to play much better in attack than they did facing Arsenal.
Predicted lineups
Barcelona: Wojciech Szczesny, Jules Kounde, Ronald Araujo, Pau Cubarsi, Inigo Martinez, Pedri, Gavi, Lamine Yamal, Dani Olmo, Raphinha, Ferran Torres
Announced Lineups
Real Madrid: Thibaut Courtois, Ferland Mendy, Antonio Rudiger, Raul Asencio, Lucas Vazquez, Aurelian Tchouameni, Jude Bellingham, Federico Valverde, Dani Ceballos, Rodrygo, Vinicius Junior,
How to watch Barcleona vs. Real Madrid, odds
- Date: Saturday, April 26 | Time: 4 p.m. ET
- Location: Estadio Olimpico de Sevilla — Sevilla, Spain
- Live stream: ESPN+
- Odds: Barcelona +120; Draw +290; Real Madrid +200
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