MADRID — Real Madrid is looking to harness the energy of their home crowd to bounce back from yet another disappointing defeat to rivals Barcelona. Following a staggering 5-2 loss in the Spanish Super Cup final on Sunday, held in Saudi Arabia, Madrid is set to play three consecutive home matches in just a week.
The first of these matches will take place on Thursday against Celta Vigo in the Copa del Rey’s Round of 16. The team will then host Las Palmas on Sunday in La Liga, followed by a clash with Salzburg on January 22 in the Champions League.
Madrid’s head coach Carlo Ancelotti addressed the team’s current mood, stating, “We are sad and disappointed. We don’t have any choice but to look forward and aim to regain the positive momentum we had before facing Barcelona.” Prior to this loss, Madrid had enjoyed a winning streak of five consecutive matches across various competitions. In addition to Sunday’s defeat, Madrid suffered another heavy loss to Barcelona earlier this season, falling 4-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu in a La Liga match in October.
Midfielder Luka Modric echoed the sentiments of his coach, emphasizing the need for unity within the team. He remarked, “We have to be together, react as we did after losing to them in La Liga. We responded well back then, and I hope we can do the same now after this tough defeat. With the Copa match coming up soon, we won’t have much time to dwell on our regrets.” Modric also lamented seeing their historical rivals score nine goals against them in just two matches but remains optimistic that the team will rebound. “We must stay united and keep working hard; there are still many reasons for our fans to celebrate. It’s a long season ahead,” he added.
As the league standings currently show, Madrid sits in second place at the halfway mark of the Spanish La Liga, trailing city neighbors Atletico Madrid by just a point while maintaining a five-point lead over Barcelona. In the Champions League, however, Madrid is struggling, sitting at the bottom of the 36-team league phase.
Ancelotti faces challenges as he plans for the upcoming Liga match against Las Palmas, as forward Vinícius Júnior has been suspended for two games due to a red card. The club’s appeal to reverse this suspension was denied earlier in the week. Moreover, the coach must address the weakened defense, which had a hard time managing Barcelona’s offensive players during their last encounter. Ancelotti noted, “We didn’t defend well, which cost us dearly. They were able to score with ease.”
Injury concerns for key players like Éder Militão and Dani Carvajal have compelled Ancelotti to adapt his strategies, particularly in filling the right-back position, and the possibility of new signings during this transfer window may be on the horizon.
Turning to other matches in the Copa del Rey, Barcelona, coming off the Super Cup, will host Real Betis on Wednesday in their own Copa del Rey Round of 16 match. Hansi Flick’s squad seeks to continue their successful run, having won three matches this year after previously losing two in 2024.
On the same day, Atletico Madrid, enjoying a phenomenal 14-game winning streak across all competitions, will travel to visit second-division club Elche in hopes of extending their remarkable run. Defending Copa champions, Athletic Bilbao, will host Osasuna on Thursday, while Rayo Vallecano heads to Real Sociedad for their match.
