Raphael Durand
Dailysports's expert
The 2024 Copa del Rey final promises to be a true football spectacle as two giants of Spanish football, Barcelona and Real Madrid, clash at the Olympic Stadium in Seville. We suggest betting on goals in this encounter with a good odds.
Match preview
The Catalans continue to assert their status as kings of the Copa del Rey. Barcelona has already claimed 31 triumphs in this tournament — more than any other in history. The last trophy was secured in 2021, when they decisively swept Athletic off the field in the final — 4:0. In the current campaign under Hans Flick, the Blaugranas confidently navigated the first three rounds, dispatching representatives from different tiers of Spanish football: Barbastro was defeated 4:0, then Betis 5:1, and Valencia was crushed 5:0.
However, the real challenge came in the semifinals against Atletico. After a wild 4:4 draw at the Wanda Metropolitano, the Catalans secured their place in the final with a narrow 1:0 victory at home. Currently, Barca boasts an impressive streak — eight matches unbeaten in regular time in the Copa del Rey (six wins and two draws). It should be noted that the team also faces a Champions League semifinal against Inter and equally important league games. Barcelona leads La Liga, four points ahead of Real.
Real Madrid has already won 20 Copa del Rey titles, with the latest added recently in 2023 when they overcame Osasuna in the decisive match (2:1). However, the path to the final in this edition was far from a walk in the park for Carlo Ancelotti's side. After an easy warm-up against Deportivo Minera (5:0), the Madridians had to sweat. The duel with Celta was only resolved in extra time — 2:2 in regular and 3:0 in extra time.
The match against Leganes also kept everyone on edge until the final whistle — the winning goal was scored after the 90th minute (3:2). In the semifinals, Los Blancos faced Real Sociedad twice: a narrow 1:0 away victory and a hard-fought home win after extra time (3:4 on aggregate and 1:0 in overtime). Currently, Real is on a nine-match unbeaten streak in regular time in the Copa del Rey — six wins and three draws.
Probable lineups
- Barcelona: Wojciech Szczesny – Jules Kounde, Inigo Martinez, Gerard Martin, Pau Cubarsi – Frenkie de Jong, Pedri, Dani Olmo – Ferran Torres, Raphinha Dias, Lamine Yamal
- Real Madrid: Thibaut Courtois – Antonio Rudiger, Federico Valverde, Raul Asensio, Fran Garcia – Aurelien Tchouameni, Luka Modric, Dani Ceballos – Jude Bellingham – Rodrygo Goes, Vinicius Junior
Match facts and head-to-head encounters
- In two matches this season (in La Liga and the Super Cup), Barcelona defeated the opponent 4:0 and 5:2
- At least three goals were scored in 14 of the last 15 head-to-head encounters in La Liga, the Cup, and the Spanish Super Cup
- The bet on "Both teams to score" has played out in four of the last five matches
Prediction
We believe the match will be spectacular and high-scoring. Real has scored against Barcelona in six of their last seven encounters, so our bet here is "Total over 3.0" with odds of 1.80.
