With the La Liga title on the line, Real Madrid have one more chance to defeat Barcelona this season.
One of the best rivalries in soccer has been a lopsided affair in recent months. Barcelona and Real Madrid have met three times this season and the Catalans have walked away with wins in all three. In his debut campaign, Hansi Flick has lead Barcelona to victories in La Liga, the Spanish Super Cup final and the Copa del Rey final against Los Blancos.
Real Madrid have been outscored 12–4 in the three matches and looked like a team incapable of getting past their bitter rivals in the 2024–25 season. Still, there is one final opportunity for Los Blancos to come out on top against Barcelona and possibly deny Flick's men the La Liga title along the way.
Here are three things Carlo Ancelotti's squad must do on Sunday, May 11, to secure all three points at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys.
JOIN SI SOCCER'S REAL MADRID WHATSAPP COMMUNITY - GET ALL THE LATEST NEWS AND ANALYSIS STRAIGHT TO YOUR PHONE
3 Things Real Madrid Must Do to Finally Beat Barcelona This Season
1. Start Arda Güler
Real Madrid look like a different team with Arda Güler in the starting lineup. Despite an impressive debut campaign, the Turkish star has spent most of this season on the bench, much to the dismay of Madridistas. Güler has received more playing time as the season winds down, though, and the 20-year-old has risen to the occasion.
Güler recorded two goals and two assists in his last three appearances alone. His goal against Getafe won Real Madrid the game, his delivery from the corner flag in the Copa del Rey final propelled Real Madrid into the lead and his goal and assist against Celta Vigo kept Los Blancos in the La Liga title race.
His sensational left foot, along with his clinical passing and playmaking ability make him the perfect player to start on the right wing against a weakened Barcelona backline. So much of Real Madrid's struggles this season have come from a lack of creativity in the attack, and Güler provides that tenfold.
Rodrygo, on the other hand, has managed just one goal and three assists in his last 22 appearances and got absolutely nothing going against Barcelona in the Copa del Rey final. With the La Liga season on the line, Real Madrid cannot afford to keep a talent like Güler on the bench for the out-of-form Brazilian.
2. Exploit Barcelona's High Line
In the previous Clásicos this season, Barcelona completely outsmarted Real Madrid with their high line. Back in October, Mbappé was caught offside a career-high eight times in Barcelona's 4–0 victory over Real Madrid. Ancelotti's squad as a whole was whistled for 12 offsides in the La Liga fixture and then seven times in the Copa del Rey final.
In fact, Barcelona have caught their opponents offside 173 times this season, more than any other team in Europe's top five leagues. Still, the high-risk system leaves Flick's defense vulnerable to well-timed through balls and runs in behind from attackers with pace. Just look at the seven goals Inter Milan scored against the Catalans in their Champions League semifinal tie.
Real Madrid have the blueprint they need to get past Barcelona thanks to the Serie A club, but the pressure will be on Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior to put the plan into action. Both players are more than capable of blowing by their defenders with the right service from the midfield, but they need to time their runs to absolute perfection. The Brazilian, in particular, will have extreme freedom on the left wing with Jules Koundé out injured.
3. Remain Compact in Defense
Going against an attack featuring Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski and Lamine Yamal requires a defensive discipline that Real Madrid have yet to show against Flick's Barcelona. Los Blancos have conceded 12 goals in this season's three Clásicos and now are coming into the fourth with just one first-team center back available.
With a backline featuring Fran García, natural midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni, 21-year-old Raúl Asencio and Lucas Vázquez, Real Madrid must play more compact than ever before. The attacking firepower of Barcelona will outclass Ancelotti's makeshift defense if given too much time and space.
Real Madrid must therefore limit Barcelona's space to disrupt the Catalans' ability to create goalscoring opportunities. Ancelotti's squad went though phases in the Copa del Rey final where they accomplished the task, but they could not sustain the shape for the entire match and suffered a 3–2 defeat. In fact, the outcome might have been different had Los Blancos simply closed down Koundé instead of leaving the right back in acres of space to bag the winner.
It is a tall ask for a depleted backline, but Real Madrid do not stand a chance against Barcelona if they do not play with a disciplined defense.
READ THE LATEST LA LIGA NEWS, TRANSFER RUMORS & GOSSIP
This article was originally published on www.si.com as 3 Things Real Madrid Must Do to Finally Beat Barcelona This Season.