Real Madrid starting XI against Barcelona in the Super Cup final

With Kylian Mbappé’s lightning-fast arrival in Jeddah, Xabi Alonso suddenly has a powerful new weapon for the Spanish Super Cup final. The Frenchman landed in Saudi Arabia and trained without issues in the team’s final session in the city, fueling the idea that the Bondy-born forward could start in a rematch of last year’s final at the same venue.

Super Cup final return for Mbappé?

Mbappé counts Barcelona among his favorite opponents, with 12 goals in nine games – split between Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid. Fresh off winning the Golden Boot, he is currently La Liga’s top scorer with 18 goals and also leads the Champions League charts with nine. Yet he is coming off an injury, and that is Alonso’s big dilemma: whether to bet on Mbappé’s return – the speed of the No 9’s trip strongly suggests that – or to stick with the solid work Gonzalo has delivered against Real Betis (three goals) and Atlético Madrid, where he battled tirelessly with the Colchoneros’ center backs – Pubill, Hancko and Le Normand – for the full 90 minutes. Either way, one of them will be flanked by an inconsistent Vinícius and an in-form Rodrygo, who has started five of Madrid’s last six games, scoring three goals and providing three assists.

The other lingering question surrounded Antonio Rüdiger’s fitness. The German defender, who has been dealing with muscle issues, played nearly 70 minutes before being substituted. Still, he is expected to start again against Barcelona. Rüdiger’s last appearance against Hansi Flick’s side ended in controversy – he was sent off and handed a six-game ban after throwing an object at referee De Burgos in the Copa del Rey final at La Cartuja. Had he been unavailable, Carreras would have stepped in, with Ferland Mendy likely at left back, but calf problems now make the Frenchman a doubt for the final.

Federico Valverde will again line up at right back, with Aurélien Tchouaméni and Eduardo Camavinga anchoring central midfield. That defensive shield operated with discipline and precision in the league Clásico last October. Jude Bellingham, meanwhile, will reprise his role as the link between midfield and attack.

Everything is set for another Clásico – with the season’s first trophy on the line in a winner-takes-all showdown in Saudi Arabia.

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