Heading into tonight’s Copa del Rey final against FC Barcelona, Real Madrid have been sweating over the availability of attacking megastar Kylian Mbappe. The French forward suffered an ankle sprain earlier this month in the home defeat against Arsenal that led to Los Blancos’ elimination from the UEFA Champions League. Mbappe missed the subsequent La Liga games against Alaves and Getafe but returned to training earlier this week and was named in the squad that travelled to Seville for the cup final tonight.
As such, the expectation was that the 26-year-old attacker would be ready to start against Barcelona at Estadio de La Cartuja. However, reports emerged overnight suggesting that Mbappe might not be at 100% yet, casting doubts over his involvement in the game. Building on that, Radio MARCA now reports that the Real Madrid superstar has indeed not fully recovered from his ankle sprain.
The forward was supposed to undergo some last-minute fitness tests today to assess his condition heading into the contest against Barcelona. Now, it appears that Mbappe is far from the required physical condition to feature from the start against the Catalans in the cup final. As such, everything indicates that he will begin the game on the bench tonight, with Vinicius Jr. and Rodrygo Goes likely to start in attack for Real Madrid. This comes as a blow for Real Madrid considering that Mbappe has been their most prolific forward this season despite having had his ups and downs since joining from PSG last summer.
Carlo Ancelotti will be hoping that his players are able to get the job done without having to rely on the French superstar and risk further aggravating his condition. Seville is buzzing as a large number of football fans have thronged the streets ahead of the Copa del Rey final between Real Madrid and Barcelona tonight at Estadio de La Cartuja. There has been a lot of tension in the lead-up to the game and given the rivalry and animosity between the two teams, fan clashes were always a possibility.
As confirmed by COPE a while back, police have already arrested a Barcelona fan for assaulting a Real Madrid supporter. Despite that, the Barcelona supporters are still stirring up troubles in Seville as they have taken to hurling vile and abusive chants towards Real Madrid superstar Vinicius Jr. The Brazilian international has been constantly targeted by fan groups from opposition teams and heading into tonight’s grand finale, a section of Barça supporters did the same, as they started chanting: ‘Vinicius, d*e.’
The rivalry between the two clubs means tempers are expected to flare, but chants of this nature, wishing death on an opponent, are simply unacceptable. Vinicius, over the past year and a half or so, has been a target of racist and abusive chants from opposition fans. The Real Madrid superstar, at times, has allowed the frustration and anger to get the better of him, but must ignore all the outside noise if he is to lead his team to the trophy tonight.
Barcelona will look to strip Real Madrid of yet another honor this season when the two sides clash in the Copa del Rey final at Estadio La Cartuja. The Blaugrana clinched the Spanish Super Cup honour in the previous edition of the Clasico, and while Hansi Flick's men are still in contention to win the Champions League, Carlo Ancelotti's Los Blancos trail their arch-rivals by four points in the La Liga title race after Real suffered a quarter-finals exit in the European top flight.
Kick-off for the Copa del Rey final is set for 9:00 pm BST on Saturday, April 26, 2025. In the United Kingdom, the match will be available to watch live on Premier Sports. For those abroad, a virtual private network (VPN) may be necessary to access usual streaming services.
Barcelona's team news shows they will be without their top goalscorer Robert Lewandowski due to a hamstring injury, but Ferran Torres is in line to feature up front in the meantime. Alejandro Balde is also nursing a hamstring problem, while Marc Casado and Marc Bernal are also confined to the infirmary. Marc-Andre ter Stegen is back in the squad after recovering from a knee injury, but Wojciech Szczesny is likely to keep his place in between the sticks.
On the other hand, Real Madrid's midfield has been hit hard with Eduardo Camavinga set to miss the rest of the season with an adductor injury, while Dani Carvajal and Eder Militao continue to deal with their long-term knee injuries. However, Ferland Mendy and Kylian Mbappe have been included in the squad, although Mendy may not start from the outset.
Ancelotti could persist with Fran Garcia at left-back, while Rodrygo is expected to join Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Junior, and Mbappe in the final third. Defensive injuries have hurt Real Madrid all season, but they’ve secured back-to-back 1-0 wins in La Liga to prove they can be solid. After conceding nine goals across their two defeats to Barcelona this season, Real know they have to sharpen up at the back.
Barcelona's predicted lineup features Raphinha, who has been sensational this season, and Ferran Torres likely coming in up top for Lewandowski. The midfield has been key for Hansi Flick’s side this season, with Frenkie de Jong, Pedri, and Gavi running the show. Plus, Barca get a boost as experienced goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen is back from the long-term knee injury he suffered in September and is in the squad, but Szczesny is set to start.
Real Madrid released a statement ahead of this game complaining about the officials, amidst rumors they would boycott the final. They stated they “never considered refusing to play” and added that “football’s values must prevail, despite the hostility and animosity that has today once again been shown against our club, by the referees appointed for the final.” All that aside, Real know if they win this final, it could land a big psychological blow ahead of the La Liga El Clasico coming up, and they could still finish the season by winning the Spanish league and cup double.
With the stage set and tensions running high, all eyes will be on the Copa del Rey final tonight. Will Real Madrid rise to the occasion without their star forward, or will Barcelona continue their dominance? The answer awaits as football fans around the world tune in for what promises to be an unforgettable match.
