Barcelona, in scintillating form, face a stumbling Real Madrid in Saturday's Copa del Rey final that offers the Catalan side a chance to inflict a third humiliation on their rivals, who are seeking redemption as they bid to avoid a trophyless campaign.
Barca have already recorded two emphatic victories over Real this season, winning 4-0 at Santiago Bernabeu in LaLiga in October and 5-2 in the Spanish Super Cup final in Saudi Arabia in January.
They will be looking to inflict another hammer blow on a wobbly Real who will have to up their game in the next two weeks if they are to avoid a season without silverware.
Last-year's Spanish and European champions have been left licking their wounds after a humbling loss to Arsenal saw them exit the Champions League in the quarter-finals.
The head to head in the Copa del Rey final
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) April 24, 2025
🧵👇 See the thread: pic.twitter.com/RBC6zxqHs5
They are also battling against the odds to retain their LaLiga crown, with Barcelona in the driver's seat at the top of the standings, leading by four points over Real with five matches to play.
Carlo Ancelotti's side have seen a seven-point cushion at the top of the standings in mid-January vanish after a series of lacklustre performances, leaving them with little margin for error at a critical moment of the season.
They will face a Barcelona side on Saturday which has been nothing less than phenomenal in 2025.
Treble chasing Barcelona are undefeated in domestic competition since late December, playing some of the best football in Europe this season.
Ferran and Endrick, joint top scorers in the Copa del Rey. pic.twitter.com/LnlK07BdJL
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) April 24, 2025
They enjoyed a superb 24-game unbeaten run across all competitions and were the last undefeated team in Europe in 2025 until last week, when they lost 3-1 at Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League.
They progressed to the semifinals after thrashing the German side 4-0 in the first-leg.
REAL STRUGGLES
Barca top LaLiga on 76 points, four ahead of Real, and after Saturday's Clasico in Seville, they will face last-placed Valladolid before hosting Real in a LaLiga clash that could decide the league title on May 11.
Following their near-flawless campaign last season to win the LaLiga-Champions League double with only two losses across all competitions, the second loss to Arsenal was already Real's 12th defeat this term.
They have been struggling for consistency all season and slumped to losses away to Liverpool, at home to AC Milan and twice against Barca and Arsenal.
Watching an imperious Barcelona side edge closer to the treble makes Real's pain more excruciating, especially as many fans and pundits were expecting the opposite when the season started.
While Barca have been struggling with financial problems for the last few years, Real have set the bar sky high with six Champions League titles in a decade and expectations were huge following the signing of France captain Kylian Mbappe.
However, as Real and their new 'Galactico' struggled to find their rhythm, Barcelona have sprung into life under the guidance of former Bayern Munich and Germany manager Hansi Flick, playing a highly entertaining, attacking style of football.
Flick, however, will be without a key piece of his attacking armoury with striker Robert Lewandowski missing Saturday's final with a leg muscle injury, which has also made him a doubt for their Champions League semi against Inter Milan next week.
In Lewandowski's absence, Barca will rely on 17-year-old Lamine Yamal and Brazilian Raphinha who, boosted by midfield maestro Pedri, have been a big part of Barca's attacking juggernaut which has scored 152 goals in 52 games this season.
Ancelotti will also be missing key players such as Eduardo Camavinga and David Alaba, but should have forward Mbappe back from an ankle injury sustained against Arsenal.