Yamal's Explosive Return Sparks Barcelona's Battle Plan for Epic Clasico Clash Against Real Madrid
Barcelona stand on the brink of retaining their Spanish Super Cup title, with only arch-nemeses Real Madrid blocking their path this Sunday evening.
Despite early-season defensive struggles, the Catalan giants have rediscovered the commanding form that secured them a domestic treble in 2024–25. Under Hansi Flick's guidance, they've assembled an impressive nine-match winning streak spanning all competitions and currently lead La Liga with a four-point advantage over their Madrid counterparts.
Their latest success arrived in the Spanish Super Cup semifinals, where Raphinha spearheaded a commanding 5–0 demolition of Athletic Club. What makes this result even more remarkable is that Lamine Yamal featured for merely 18 minutes, leaving the Jeddah crowd in Saudi Arabia wanting more.
The Spanish winger is anticipated to reclaim his starting berth in Barcelona's lineup for this crucial Clásico encounter, with only the sidelined trio of Gavi, Marc-André ter Stegen, and Andreas Christensen remaining unavailable for Flick's Sunday selection.
Here's Barcelona's potential starting formation against Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup final.
Barcelona Predicted Lineup vs. Real Madrid (4-2-3-1)
GK: Joan García—García enters this match following four straight shutouts, a run that will require another stellar display from the Spanish goalkeeper to continue.
RB: Jules Kounde—The duel between Kounde and Vinicius Junior consistently provides entertainment, with the French defender having gained the upper hand in their recent encounters.
CB: Pau Cubarsí—While his performances have improved recently, Cubarsí will be hoping to avoid a direct confrontation with Kylian Mbappé when the match kicks off at Alinma Bank Stadium.
CB: Eric García—The 25-year-old defender is set for his 18th straight start as Flick maintains confidence in the adaptable Spanish center-back.
LB: Alejandro Balde—Balde faces one of Sunday's most challenging assignments—neutralizing Rodrygo, who arrives at the final with six goal contributions across his previous five starts.
DM: Pedri—Barcelona's Sunday success hinges largely on Pedri's performance. The Spanish midfielder's precise distribution and knack for exploiting non-existent spaces could leave Real Madrid scrambling.
DM: Frenkie de Jong—De Jong's transitional excellence makes him dangerous whenever he touches the ball, a quality Real Madrid has historically found difficult to neutralize.
RW: Lamine Yamal—The teenage prodigy is expected to return to Flick's starting eleven after his substitute appearance on Wednesday. Yamal will be motivated to improve upon his disappointing Clásico showing in October.
AM: Fermín López—Three goal contributions in the semifinals should guarantee Fermín's position as Barcelona's playmaker, keeping Dani Olmo among the substitutes.
LW: Raphinha—The experimentation phase has concluded. Raphinha should maintain his favored left-wing role, where he netted twice against Athletic Club. Marcus Rashford misses the opportunity to start consecutive Clásicos.
ST: Ferran Torres—Despite managing just one goal in his last five outings, Torres would normally be replaced by Robert Lewandowski. However, the Polish striker remained unused in the semifinals amid ongoing speculation about his club future.
