The Supercup will host the highly anticipated final this Sunday as Real Madrid triumphed 3-0 over Mallorca, a day after Barcelona overcame Athletic Bilbao. The second Clásico of the season will decide the first national title of the campaign.
One year after Vinícius’ hat-trick led Real Madrid to a resounding 4-1 victory over Barcelona in the last final of the tournament, the two giants will meet again, bringing with them unfinished business, various controversies, and a particularly significant trophy.
With 14 titles, Barcelona is the absolute dominator of the tournament, yet their leadership is at risk from Madrid, who claimed their 13th title last year and could match Barcelona’s record this time around. This will be the fifth edition decided in Saudi Arabia. So far, the Merengues have claimed trophies in 2020, 2022, and 2024, while Barcelona lifted the trophy in 2023. In 2021, COVID-19 forced the event to be held behind closed doors in Seville, where Athletic Bilbao took the title.
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Two names, one from each side, will dominate the pre-match conversation. Dani Olmo has made headlines recently after the CSD granted Barcelona a provisional ruling allowing him and Pau Víctor to be registered, sparking a media storm of the highest order in Spain.
Even the political sphere has been drawn into the fray, with the Popular Party revealing that the government is giving “preferential treatment to a club that adulterates the competition.”
Several Spanish clubs have also seized the opportunity to take shots at Barcelona, whose solitary position has caused both astonishment and intrigue, with accusations of foul play directed at the club and its president, Laporta, who has been criticized for his behavior.
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The president of the Blaugrana celebrated the CSD ruling with an exuberant gesture, and there are reports alleging he insulted several federation presidents in the stadium’s box. However, this has not been publicly confirmed, yet it has only fueled further derogatory comments against him.
“What if Olmo decides the final?” question social media users who are most critical of Barcelona, overlooking the fact that the Blaugrana club has, rightly or wrongly, merely followed legal avenues. All clubs have previously done this, exemplified by Real Madrid’s successful plea to the TAS in 2016, which allowed minors affected by a FIFA sanction to continue playing – something Barcelona could not achieve.
Dani Olmo is expected to start for Barcelona, just as Vinícius is almost guaranteed to be in Real Madrid’s lineup, thanks to a two-match ban imposed after his sending-off at Mestalla, allowing him to partake in the Supercup while serving his punishment in La Liga.
This comes despite several precedents where players expelled for similar reasons as the Brazilian faced harsher punishments, especially after Vinícius’s reaction post-red card, where he was restrained by teammates from confronting the referee.
Regardless of the circumstances, Vinícius, who shone brightly last year, will face Barcelona again, two and a half months after the Blaugrana’s stunning 0-4 win at the Bernabéu, defeat that Madrid will undoubtedly be eager to avenge.
Should they emerge victorious, it would mark their third trophy of the season after the UEFA Supercup and the Intercontinental Cup.
