<a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/tags/real-madrid/" target="_blank">Real Madrid</a> will be seeking revenge for their humiliating 4-0 home loss to Barcelona in October as the rivals prepare for their second Clasico of the season in the <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/sport/football/2025/01/09/real-madrid-coach-ancelotti-defends-vinicius-jr-ahead-of-spanish-super-cup-clash-with-mallorca-in-jeddah/" target="_blank">Spanish Super Cup </a>final on Sunday. <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/sport/football/2025/01/09/barcelona-athletic-spanish-super-cup/" target="_blank">Hansi Flick's Barcelona</a> crushed Los Blancos at the Santiago Bernabeu in October in La Liga, although a slump before the winter break helped Real Madrid overtake them. LaLiga leaders Real recovered from that setback and are on a five-match winning streak ahead of defending the Super Cup in Jeddah, but <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/sport/football/2024/10/21/carlo-ancelotti-values-kylian-mbappes-goals-over-workrate-as-real-madrid-face-borussia-dortmund/" target="_blank">coach Carlo Ancelotti </a>is cautious. "We have to think about that game obviously, they beat us, we had a clear evaluation of what happened," Ancelotti said in Saudi Arabia. "We started the game well, then had problems in the second half, so we have to try and repeat the good things we did and avoid the mistakes we made. "The Clasico is even more pressure when it's a final, we've played a lot against Barcelona and playing a final against them is always something special." Madrid are still searching for balance in the squad after the arrival of <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/sport/football/2024/09/25/kylian-mbappe-scores-again-as-real-madrid-survive-late-fightback-from-alaves/" target="_blank">French superstar Kylian Mbappe </a>from Paris Saint-Germain last summer. Along with Vinicius Junior, Jude Bellingham and Rodrygo Goes, the four players give Madrid a significant edge going forward but can hurt the team if they are not focused defensively. "(In recent Clasicos) individual quality has prevailed over team balance," continued Ancelotti. "An important aspect tomorrow will be balance and collective work - defending. If you defend well, there's more chance of winning." Ancelotti has all the players who travelled available for the final including England midfielder Bellingham, who experienced some muscle issues during the semi-final where he scored the first goal in a 3-0 win over Mallorca. "He's fine, he's recovered well," the Italian said of Bellingham who is Real's third-highest scorer and joint-top with assists in their current LaLiga campaign. The coach said the Super Cup was an important title, and statistically Real had a good season every time they won it. "When we haven't won it, it hasn't gone well. It's a competition that gives you a lot more motivation," added Ancelotti. Meanwhile, Barcelona manager Flick lauded Ronald Araujo's resilience, highlighting the defender’s recovery from a long-term hamstring injury and dismissing rumours about his future at the club. Flick addressed the return of Uruguayan Araujo, who has recently recovered from a serious long-term injury and has been the subject of speculation that he wants to leave the club. "Ronald is back stronger than ever. He’s an excellent option for us, very professional, and ready to play. I don’t pay attention to the rumours. I’m just happy to have him on my side," Flick said. "I have told the team: there is only outside noise, you have to be cohesive and strong. It’s a great season, we’ve done well in general. "We have to be focused. We played well for the club and we can do better. It’s what we want." The Super Cup offers the German coach's first chance of silverware since arriving at Barcelona. "If we win, we will have more confidence for the rest of the season," added Flick. "Winning the game would be something really big for everyone."
