Spanish football giants Real Madrid and Barcelona will renew their fierce rivalry on Saturday in the Copa del Rey final at La Cartuja stadium, their first meeting in the tournament’s final in over a decade.
This will mark just the eighth Copa del Rey final clash between the two, with Real Madrid narrowly leading the historical tally, having won four of their previous seven encounters, including memorable victories in 2011 and 2014.
In 2011, Real Madrid, under Jose Mourinho, ended an 18-year Copa drought by defeating Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona 1-0 in extra time, thanks to Cristiano Ronaldo’s decisive header. The 2014 final witnessed Gareth Bale’s iconic 50-metre solo goal, helping Real secure a 2-1 win under Carlo Ancelotti.
Real also triumphed in 1936 and 1975, while Barcelona claimed victories in 1968, 1983, and 1990. Barça enter Saturday’s clash after having beaten Real twice this season — a 4-0 La Liga victory at the Bernabeu and a 5-2 Spanish Super Cup triumph in Saudi Arabia.
Barcelona, who boast a record 31 Copa del Rey titles, are aiming to extend their dominance, while Real Madrid seek to add to their tally of 20. Despite their illustrious European records, the rivals have astonishingly never met in a UEFA Champions League final.
Across 18 finals in different Spanish competitions, Real Madrid have won 11 to Barcelona’s 7.
