Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Copa del Rey match.
The high-stakes build-up to the Copa del Rey final between Barcelona and Real Madrid rekindles memories of the iconic clashes between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. El Clásico is once again making global headlines, but in Seville, the momentum is expected to be with just one team.
Barcelona
The 3:1 defeat to Borussia Dortmund marked Barcelona’s first loss of 2025. However, the squad responded emphatically in their next two matches, edging past Celta Vigo (4:3) and narrowly beating RCD Mallorca (1:0), maintaining their attacking rhythm. Across those two fixtures, Barcelona generated a combined 6.00 xG. Even without Robert Lewandowski, Barcelona continue to pose a significant threat up front, with Ferran Torres stepping into a false nine role to support midfield transitions.
Real Madrid
In the Copa del Rey semi-finals, unlike Barcelona, who edged out Atlético Madrid in a dramatic 5:4 aggregate result, Real Madrid came close to being eliminated by an inconsistent Real Sociedad, having lost 4:3 at the Santiago Bernabéu in regular time. A heavy 5:1 aggregate defeat to Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals ultimately led to the dismissal of Carlo Ancelotti. In La Liga, recent 1:0 victories over Athletic Bilbao and Getafe have highlighted Real Madrid’s lack of attacking sharpness in the absence of Kylian Mbappé, as well as lingering problems in both defence and attack.
Barcelona vs Real Madrid Prediction
Over their last 10 matches in all competitions, Barcelona have scored 24 goals. They have also dominated both El Clásico meetings this season, winning 4:0 and 5:2. Given Real Madrid’s recent vulnerabilities at the back, Barcelona look well-positioned to lift the trophy.
