El Clasico is back with silverware up for grabs, with Barcelona and Real Madrid meeting in the Copa del Rey final this Saturday at Estadio de La Cartuja.
It is a high-pressure encounter between two of Spain's most massive clubs, and both will not want to depart Seville without something.
Barcelona are in pursuit of a 32nd Copa title and arrive on solid domestic form — having just beaten Mallorca 1-0 and being undefeated in Spain since December.
That reliability adds pressure to a Real Madrid squad still reeling from their Champions League elimination. Yet Los Blancos have recent cup glory to rely on, having won the previous two Copa del Rey finals.
They also have the advantage in one-on-one finals, winning four of their seven against Barça, including a comprehensive 4-0 semi-final win in 2023. Madrid also beat Getafe 1-0 in their most recent La Liga match, with Arda Guler scoring early to keep the league title race alive with five games to go.
The Sporting News looks at the key details ahead of this game, including how to watch the match, kickoff times and the latest lineup news.
Barcelona vs. Real Madrid live stream, TV channel
Here's how to watch this El Clasico Copa del Rey final match in the UK:
TV channel: Premier Sports 1
Live stream: Premier Sports Player
This game is available for live TV broadcast on Premier Sports 1 in the UK. Streaming options are available on Premier Sports Player.
What time does Barcelona vs. Real Madrid kick off?
This El Clasico Copa del Rey final takes place at the Estadio de La Cartuja in Seville, Spain and kicks off on Saturday, April 26 at 10:00 p.m. local time. This translates to 9:00 p.m. BST.
Barcelona vs. Real Madrid lineups, team news
Barcelona will be obliged to reshuffle their team for the next final, with some of their star players eliminated due to injury. The biggest blow is the loss of Robert Lewandowski, who remains sidelined with a hamstring issue and is not likely to return until next month's fixture against Real Madrid. That leaves the door open for Ferran Torres to be the target man up front.
In left-back, youngster Gerard Martin would surely come in, with Alejandro Balde being ruled out. Midfield would also see Fermin Lopez getting the nod over Dani Olmo, who has been dealing with fitness issues recently. Pau Cubarsi should also be back in central defence, perhaps at the cost of Ronald Araujo.
Despite the setbacks, there are positives for Hansi Flick's side. Lamine Yamal and Raphinha remain nailed-on starters out wide, while Frenkie de Jong and Jules Kounde are both in line to return to the starting XI after being benched for the Mallorca fixture. However, injuries to Marc Casado, Marc Bernal, and goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen continue to limit the club’s options.
Barcelona predicted XI (4-2-3-1, right to left): Szczesny (GK) — Kounde, Cubarsi, I. Martinez, Martin — De Jong, Pedri — Yamal, F Lopez, Raphinha — Torres.
Injured: Robert Lewandowski, Alejandro Balde, Dani Olmo, Ronald Araujo.
Suspended: None.
Real Madrid will be deprived of Eduardo Camavinga and David Alaba for this Saturday's El Clasico, as both the players are injured after developing muscular problems in Wednesday's win over Getafe. Camavinga's injury looks more significant, with the midfielder being expected to miss the rest of the season.
Fran Garcia will be expected to play at left-back from the beginning, with Carlo Ancelotti confirming Rodrygo will keep his spot in the XI despite being recently criticized. There's also optimistic cautiousness over Kylian Mbappe, who is recovering from an ankle injury suffered in the Champions League against Arsenal. The Frenchman should be available.
At the same time, Ferland Mendy might be back in the matchday lineup, but Dani Carvajal and Eder Militao are still out with knee injuries.
Real Madrid predicted XI (4-2-3-1, right to left): Courtois (GK) — Vazquez, Asencio, Rudiger, F Garcia — Tchouameni, Valverde — Rodrygo, Bellingham, Vinicius — Mbappe.
Injured: Eduardo Camavinga, David Alaba, Dani Carvajal, Eder Militao
Suspended: none
El Clasico Copa del Rey fixture schedule this week
All times BST
Saturday, April 26
- Barcelona vs. Real Madrid (8:00 p.m.)