We won’t have to wait until May to see El Clásico again. Barça and Real Madrid will face each other in another final this season, after the Spanish Super Cup, which saw the Azulgranas emerge victorious. On April 26, in just over 20 days, the two teams will meet at La Cartuja on their way to the treble, looking for the first piece of the puzzle, the Copa del Rey.
Barça became the second finalist in the Copa del Rey. After Real Madrid’s last-gasp qualification against Real Sociedad in a high-scoring and controversial match that was decided in extra time, the Azulgrana team beat Atlético by the narrowest of margins at the Metropolitano thanks to a great first half in which Lamine gifted Ferran Torres a goal. They knew how to suffer and now they will experience El Clásico in the final.
It will be the 43rd final for Barça, who are the kings of the competition, with 31 titles to their name, compared to 24 for Athletic Bilbao and 20 for Real Madrid, who have played in 40 finals. Of the finals played by the Whites, seven have been against FC Barcelona. The record stands at four wins for the Merengues and three for the Catalans. So, the match on the 26th will be the eighth final in which the eternal rivals will battle for the title.
Barça will play at home
In this eighth meeting between the two teams in a Cup final, Barça will play as the home team at La Cartuja in Seville. Precisely because it is a neutral venue, with an equal distribution of tickets, it would seem that playing at home offers no advantage, but there are some benefits, such as having the more comfortable dressing room and wearing their home shirt.
The question, therefore, is how is it decided which team is the home team in the Copa del Rey final? Unlike in other competitions, it is not determined by the draw or by a coin toss. In the case of the Copa del Rey, the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) stipulates that the oldest team plays the final at home.
Barcelona was founded in 1899, three years before Real Madrid (1902), so Hansi Flick’s team will be the home team in the 2025 final.