The Clasico in the Super Cup final is a great poster.
Real Madrid are a controversial team
Both in terms of play and in terms of results. The “Creamers” keep their opponents in suspense for 90 minutes, even when the game is not the best, because they are able to turn on in a short time and produce magic. It’s an axiom that is confirmed year after year. This season, confirmation was seen in the Champions League against Borussia Dortmund.
The same can be said about the results in general. The current Real Madrid is certainly not stronger than last year, and perhaps even weaker. The team is struggling to get used to Kylian Mbappé, the chemistry in the playing combinations has disappeared. The result is given to the thin; Bellingham, Rodrigo and Mbappe himself were lost for a long time. And despite this, the team maintains the quality mark.
Madrid returned to the leaders of the Spanish championship and is in the playoff zone Champions League (That’s enough – Los Blancos should already be seriously evaluated in the knockout matches). And now they are preparing for the Super Cup match. In an ambiguous game, such results are abnormal.
At least some leaders come to life
And yet, the situation is gradually improving. In the fall, Jude Bellingham spoke with Carlo Ancelotti. The Englishman had the feeling that with the arrival of Kilian he had entered the shadows. Last year he was the team’s top scorer along with Vini. Now this status is shared by the Brazilian and Kylian, and Jude has been sent closer to the center of the field. The midfielder asked to be used more in the final phase in order to regain last year’s form. And in November, Jude improved his stats. Between the 13th and 17th rounds, the Englishman scored six goals and provided three assists. And in the new year he has already scored a goal and an assist against Valencia and helped beat Mallorca in the Super Cup semi-final.
In addition to him, Mbappé has become more active. At the end of the year, the Frenchman scored six goals in eight matches in all tournaments. Of course, we expected much more from a talent of Kylian’s caliber: he was considered the Madrid leader, the face of a renewed project. But six goals is better than nothing. Los Blancos have plenty to win, especially when Vinicius is in good shape.
The Catalans no longer tear each other apart
After a strong start, Barça and Flick did not hesitate to crown. Overall well deserved. The team led by the German returns to the top of La Liga and is ahead of Atlético and Real Madrid. They took a surprisingly long time to start the season, which they could have benefited from. Moreover, objective assessment was hampered by the extravagance of high-profile matches. “Blaugrana” beat “Bavaria” (4:1) and in the next match they beat “Real” – 4:0. With such results, against the backdrop of the rebirth of Lewandowski, the great form of Rafinha and Yamal, it would be a shame not to believe Barça.
But the Catalans lost their entire lead as quickly as they gained it. In November, the Blaugrana won just one LaLiga game out of four, losing to Sociedad and Las Palmas. In December the picture was the same, this time there were defeats of Leganes and Atlético, a draw with Betis, and the only victory was against Mallorca. From now on, Barça is no longer leader. And they were five points behind Los Blancos.
Olmo’s situation is damaging the atmosphere in the locker room
It is very possible that this is due to a change of coach. Flick plays more intense football, with aggressive pressing. At first, the ideas were accepted with flying colors, but later poor endurance appeared – this can be corrected over the course of several seasons. But for that you have to maintain the atmosphere in the locker room. Meanwhile, the latest news only undermines team spirit.
At the beginning of the new year, an acute problem regarding the recording of Dani Olmo emerged. The league refused registration; it was approved in January, but it will be temporary (until a decision is made on the club’s appeal). There is some kind of solution, but Barça and Olmo himself remain in the dark. The team’s players are shocked and annoyed that the club has failed to resolve this issue in a matter of months. And this despite the fact that we are talking about a leader.
Araujo, Rafinha, de Jong. Some of them will have to be released
This situation is aggravated by the contract situation. The agreements with Araujo and de Jong are valid until summer 2026. Renewal must be arranged in advance. When there is one year left on their contract, it will be difficult to get anything out of it – from the winter, the players will be able to negotiate with the clubs their transfer as a free agent. At the same time, neither is in a hurry to make a decision.
The situation with Ronald is generally dangerous. According to the latest data, in private conversations with his teammates, the Uruguayan said he felt “exhausted.” This is not surprising, as he was not sent to the more stable Bayern, and the club now has a decent team of central defenders even without Araujo. Add to that Barça’s constant problems. A football player cannot feel safe here. The player is ready to be picked up by Juve.
There is also demand for De Jong and Rafinha; Saudi clubs are ready to pay money. And the situation with Olmo could push them to change stops. In a word, Barça is very restless.
Los Blancos remember Bernabeu slap
During Xavi’s league season, Barcelona looked pretty good compared to Real Madrid. Then the teams held five Clasicos – and the Catalans won three of them. It was the following year that the “cream” crossed into La Liga and Champions League and eliminated three out of three during the Clasico. This season there was another breakdown. The “Blaugrana” with a new coach won very boldly at the Santiago Bernabeu – Flick’s gang scored a defeat (4:0) away. This must have remained engraved in the memory of Madrilenians.
Forecast Soccer.ru: Both teams are unstable. Attitude and motivation can work in Barça’s favor; Real often wreaks havoc on individual skills. The Catalans have Yamal and other leaders in their ranks, and they beat Athletic less than Real Madrid beat Mallorca. Let’s bet on the “blue garnet” to win.
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