The talk in the Spanish capital is whether Real Madrid can save their season in the Copa del Rey final, as they hope to pip rivals Barcelona to the final. It could also be decisive in the future of manager Carlo Ancelotti, with many talking about the final weeks of his tenure.
Hence the line-up Ancelotti goes for will be dissected and placed under a microscope. After losing 4-0 and 5-2 in the previous two meetings, Ancelotti is required to come up with fresh solutions against the Blaugrana. Without Eduardo Camavinga, David Alaba, Dani Carvajal and Eder Militao, Ancelotti is somewhat short in his backline.
Dani Olmo is likely to start his first Clásico tomorrow. @jbatalla7
— barcacentre (@barcacentre) April 25, 2025
The Frenchman was supposedly due to be the left-back that Ancelotti opted for against Lamine Yamal, but after his serious tendon injury, he will be forced to use one of Fran Garcia or Ferland Mendy. The former has rarely been trusted for big occasions by the Italian coach, but is fighting fit, and has improved this season. Mendy on the other hand only returned from a hamstring injury this week, after a month out, and will have a certain degree of rust. Theoretically, he is more suited to deal with Barcelona’s attacking quality though, and has Ancelotti’s trust.
According to Marca, Ancelotti will go for Mendy. They explain that he has seen enough from Mendy in training to use him, and prefers to opt for his experience over Garcia. That resolves one of the key doubts in his Copa final XI, with Fede Valverde due to start at right-back, and a midfield including Aurelien Tchouameni, Jude Bellingham and Dani Ceballos.
The remaining doubt is over Rodrygo Goes. If the Brazilian continues in attack, it will de facto mean using him as a wide player in a 4-4-2, or dropping Bellingham deeper into a midfield three. Alternatively, Ancelotti could maintain the threat of Bellingham further forward, and add more control with veteran Luka Modric in midfield.
