Speaking to the media on Saturday morning about the 2025 Spanish Super Cup final against Barça, scheduled for Sunday in Saudi Arabia, Carlo Ancelotti made some very clear statements about the match.
Football fans will be treated to another thrilling Clasico this Sunday. After the 4-0 defeat inflicted by FC Barcelona on Real Madrid on 26 October during the first leg of the Spanish football league, the two rival giants will face off in what promises to be a dream showdown. Victorious in their respective semi-finals against Athletic Bilbao (2-0) and Mallorca (3-0) in Jeddah, the Catalans and the Merengues will meet in the final to fight for the first trophy of 2025. First to appear at the pre-match press conference, Carlo Ancelotti openly discussed the significance of this clash.
The Spanish Super Cup: The road to the Champions League?
After confirming the full recovery of Jude Bellingham, Federico Valverde, and Aurélien Tchouaméni, who had all picked up knocks in the semi-finals, Carlo Ancelotti highlighted the importance of the Clasico at the start of the year.
“Does playing the Super Cup mid-season give it added value? Yes. Because statistically, whenever we’ve won the Super Cup, we’ve achieved excellent results afterwards. When we haven’t won it, we didn’t go on to win the Champions League. It’s a competition that brings motivation and momentum.”
Still stung by the heavy defeat on 26 October at the Santiago Bernabéu, the 65-year-old Italian coach is determined to avoid a similar outcome against Hansi Flick’s side, whom he deeply respects. According to Ancelotti, Real Madrid have improved significantly since that crushing 4-0 loss to Barça. “We need to reflect on what happened during the first Clasico because we didn’t win. We’ve carried out a clear assessment. We started well but fell apart in the second half. We need to avoid repeating the mistakes we made.”
“If we lose tomorrow, the season goes on”
Reassuring the millions of Real Madrid supporters worldwide, the most successful coach in the club’s history emphasised that the team must not dwell on a potential defeat in the 2025 Spanish Super Cup final. “If we lose tomorrow, the season goes on. It’s a final, and we’re very close to another title, so we’re thinking positively. But I’m aware that in football, anything can happen, especially when the opponent is as strong as Barcelona,” he added in front of the media.
Carlo Ancelotti’s caution is understandable, but considering the past few months for both clubs, Real Madrid should not approach this final with fear. Based on the statistics from recent encounters between the two Spanish giants, Los Blancos have all the tools to secure a new trophy and kick off 2025 in style, a year that holds the potential for them to win seven trophies.
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