For much of the season, the spotlight has been fixed on Barcelona. Under new management and riding a wave of dominant performances, the Catalans are chasing history. But in the shadows, Real Madrid are quietly preparing for something just as significant a chance to remind everyone that champions aren’t judged by how they start, but how they respond.
Carlo Ancelotti knows what it means to stay calm amid the storm. While Barcelona have raced ahead, Madrid have stumbled, recalibrated, and now find themselves in a familiar position: written off by many, but never truly out of the picture.
This Saturday in Seville, the Copa del Rey final gives Madrid a chance to flip the narrative. It’s not just about lifting a trophy it’s about halting a rival’s momentum, reclaiming belief, and proving once again that pedigree matters.
They’ve been battered before this season twice, in fact. A bruising league defeat at the Bernabeu and a Super Cup collapse in Saudi Arabia have added fuel to Barcelona’s fire. But Real Madrid isn’t a team that stays down for long.
What Flick is building in Barcelona is impressive, no doubt. But Ancelotti isn’t just managing a team he’s guiding an institution that thrives on moments like these. With titles still within reach and another Clasico looming, Madrid have everything to play for.
And if history tells us anything, it’s that Real Madrid saves its best for when the stakes are highest.
