Ancelotti aiming to avenge LaLiga Clasico thrashing in Supercopa final – Soccer News

Carlo Ancelotti is looking to avenge Real Madrid’s 4-0 defeat to Barcelona in their LaLiga Clasico back in October in this weekend’s Supercopa de Espana final.

Robert Lewandowski, Lamine Yamal and Raphinha were all on target at the Bernabeu, ending Los Blancos’ 42-game unbeaten run in the Spanish top-flight in the process.

Madrid have since recovered from that setback, winning their last five games across all competitions, scoring at least two goals in each victory (3.4 goals per game).

Should they beat Barca in the final, it will be their longest winning run since a seven-game streak that ended with their 2024 Spanish Supercup victory in January last year.

But Ancelotti remained cautious ahead of their encounter as the Madrid head coach aims to win a record-extending 16th major honour in charge of Los Blancos.

“We have to think about what happened in the first game because they beat us (in LaLiga),” Ancelotti told reporters on Saturday.

“We’ve made a pretty clear assessment, so we’ll have to repeat the good things we did and avoid the mistakes.

“A Clasico is always a Clasico, but a final puts a bit more pressure on you.”

Good night, #Madridistas! pic.twitter.com/J8HIIQUTig

— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadriden) January 9, 2025

Ancelotti revealed that Jude Bellingham, who scored in their semi-final victory over Mallorca, would be available after suffering some muscle issues in that game.

Bellingham is the midfielder across the top five European leagues to have scored the most goals in the last two months in all competitions (nine goals).

“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.

Madrid and Barcelona will meet for the 10th time in the Spanish Supercup final and for the third time in the single leg format, with Los Blancos winning seven titles to their rivals’ two in those matches.

Ancelotti expressed the importance of winning the title and the implications it could have on their quest for LaLiga and Champions League glory this term.

“When we haven’t won it, it hasn’t gone well. It’s a competition that gives you a lot more motivation,” Ancelotti concluded.

“Barcelona are a historic rival and the matches are always very competitive. It’s difficult for us and for them. The result of the match cannot be predicted.”