Copa del Rey 2025 final: Real Madrid vs Barcelona – start, teams, favourite | Football News

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The Archirival Barcelona and Real Madrid will meet in a classic for the third time this season when they face the Copa del Rey final (King’s Cup).

Barcelona will seek a hat-trick of victories on Saturday about its fierce enemies this 2024-2025 season, after having defeated Real 5-2 in the final of the Spanish Super Cup in January and 4-0 in a league accessory in October.

Barcelona, ​​the most successful club with 31 trophies, has not reached the final since 2021 when they beat Bilbao Atlético. Madrid, who will play in his second final in three seasons, won his twentieth title against Osasuna in 2023.

The successful confrontation of Saturday will mark the first time in 11 years that Barcelona and Real Madrid have in a final of the Cup, and is the 260 ° competitive match between the sides.

Here is everything you need to know before the clash between the two soccer titans of Spain:

When is the 2025 Cup final?

The Copa del Rey final will be played on Saturday at 10 pm (20:00 GMT)

Follow the live text of Al Jazeera Sport and the transmission of photographic comments.

Where is the final of the Cup as a hero?

Cartuja Stadium in Seville is the place for the final of the Copa del Rey 2025.

The stadium, the fifth largest in Spain, has a capacity of 57,600 people and was one of the 11 stages used in the Multicunrosa 2020 Eurocup tournament.

Cartuja Stadium also hosted the final of the Copa del Rey 2024 between Athletic Bilbao and Osasuna.

La Cartuja outdoor shot.
Cartuja stadium in Seville will be the host of the final of the Copa del Rey 2025 [File: Jon Nazca/Reuters]
La Cartuja inner stadium.
General view within La Cartuja Stadium [File: Jon Nazca/Reuters]

What team is the favorite to win the 2025 Cup?

Given its recent shape and dominance at the top of the LaLiga table, Barcelona is the favorite to win the Copa del Rey.

Hansi Flick’s team has lost only once this year in all competitions, falling 3-1 against Borussia Dortmund in the second section of the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals, Alteghe did not prevent them from sealing their place in the semifinal.

Multiple betting corridors worldwide through the Oddschecker platform have Barcelona marked as the favorite of shorter to win the Cup, paying $ 2.10 on average for victory with Real Madrid at $ 3.10.

Barcelona winning the final of the Cup maintains the ambition of the Catalan giant to win the triplets of the 2024-2025 season: the Copa del Rey, the UEFA Champions League and LaLiga.

Barcelona, ​​the last hope of Spain in the Champions League, are the favorite of the tournament.

In LaLiga, the competition of the Premier League of Spain, Barcelona sits at the top of the classification with a four -point advantage over Real Madrid with only five games stirring this season.

Soccer football - LaLiga - FC Barcelona V Girona - Estadi Olimpic Lluis Company, Barcelona, ​​Spain - March 30, 2025 FC El Lamine Yamal de Barcelona shoots in goal Reuters/Albert Gea
Barcelona, ​​led by several star players such as Lamine Yamal, has lost only one game in all competitions in 2025 [File: Albert Gea/Reuters]

How did Real Madrid and Barcelona the final of 2025?

Real Madrid reached the final of the Cup after beating Real Sociedad 5-4 together in the semifinals, while Barcelona reserved his position in the clash for the title by beating Atlético de Madrid in the semifinals with the same score.

Who is the Cup Defender Champion?

Athletic Bilbao is the reigning champions of the Cup, but were eliminated in the 16th round by Osasuna. The departure from Bilbao said there would be no repeated champion of the Cup since Barcelona won it four years in a row from 2015 to 2018.

What happened to the last time he played Barça in the final of the Cup?

Real Madrid and Barcelona last with a Cup final in the 2013-2014 season with a true 2-1 winner after the goals of Angel Di Maria and Gareth Bale.

Gareth Bale in action.
Gareth Bale de Real, on the left, celebrates with Xabi Alonso after scoring his team’s second goal so that the Copa del Rey final against Barcelona in Valencia on April 16, 2014 [Alberto Saiz/AP]

How many times have Real and Barcelona face in the final of the Cup?

Barcelona and Real Madrid have faced 38 times in the Copa del Rey through the history of competition.

Whites have a slight advantage over Barça in their record of head to head, winning four of their seven games:

  • 2014: Real Madrid 2-1 Barcelona
  • 2011: Real Madrid 1-0 Barcelona
  • 1990: Barcelona 2-0 Real Madrid
  • 1983: Barcelona 2-1 Real Madrid
  • 1974: Real Madrid 4-0 Barcelona
  • 1968: Barcelona 1-0 Real Madrid
  • 1936: Real Madrid 2-1 Barcelona

Why has the titles of the Copa del Rey won?

  • Barcelona: 31
  • Athletic Bilbao: 24
  • Real Madrid: 20
  • Atlético de Madrid: 10
  • Valencia: eight

Will Lewandowski play in the final of the Cup?

Barcelona star striker Robert Lewandowski was diagnosed with an injury to the hamstrings on Sunday and the final of the Copa del Rey and the semifinal of the Champions League will be lost, according to the reports of the Spanish media.

The 36-year-old Polish striker, the top scorer of Barcelona with 40 goals in all competitions, left the victory of LaLiga 4-3 of his team about Celta Vigo on Saturday.

“The tests carried out on Sunday have confirmed that the first player of the team Robert Lewandowski has an injury in Seitendinosus in his left thigh,” Barcelona said in a statement with a specific way of how it would be left aside.

The Spanish media reported that Lewandowski could be out for three weeks.

Soccer football - LaLiga - FC Barcelona V Celta Vigo - Estadi Olimpic Lluis Company, Barcelona, ​​Spain - April 19, 2025 FC Robert Lewandowski reacts after suffering a Reuters/Albert Gea lesion
Robert Lewandowski from Barcelona leaves the field after suffering an injury against Celta Vigo on April 19, 2025, at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Company in Barcelona in [Albert Gea/Reuters]

Real Madrid team news

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said Kylian Mbappe is ready to return from an injury to the rivals of Barcelona.

The French striker was a problem replaced by the ankle.

The striker together with compatriot Ferland Mendy must be fit for the classic.

Eder Militao and Dani Carvajal, however, remain marginalized due to knee injuries.

Barcelona team news

Lewandowski is the absent of great admitted to Barcelona due to his zuanera problem.

Alejandro Bald, Marc Casado, Marc Bernal and Marc-Andre Ter Stegen are absent for Barcelona due to injuries.

Possible alignments

Real Madrid starting XI: Thibaut Courtois; Lucas Vázquez, Antonio Rudiger, Raúl Asencio, Fran García; Federico Valverde, Aurelien Tchouameni; Rodrygo, Jude Bellingham, Vinicius JR; Kylian Mbappe

Barcelona starting XI: Wojciech Szczesny; Jules Kounde, Ronald Araujo, Pau Curbasi, Gerard Martin; Frenkie de Jong, Pedri, Fermin López; Lamine Yamal, Raphinha; Ferran Torres

Is the Copa del Rey the oldest Spanish competition?

YEAH. Founded in 1903 and organized by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the Copa del Rey is the oldest Spanish football competition that is played nationwide.

The winners of the Copa del Rey qualify for the UEFA Europa League next season. If the winner has already qualified for Europe through its Laliga staircase position, the place of the Europa League is granted to the next best located team that has not yet been classified.

Copa del Rey trophy.
The King Cup trophy [File: Fran Santiago/Getty Images]
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