Ancelotti Doubts, Flick's Final Record

SEVILLA, FRIDAY - Real Madrid is in a less favored position when facing Barcelona in the final of the Copa del Rey, Sunday (27/4/2025) at 03:00 WIB, at the De La Cartuja Stadium, Sevilla. Real's coach, Carlo Ancelotti, is shrouded in doubt due to the team's recent performance decline. On the other hand, Barcelona is in a favorable position considering coach Hansi Flick's impressive record in every final he has participated in.

Flick certainly deserves the title of a specialist final coach. Throughout his coaching career, Flick has led his teams to the final match seven times. The breakdown includes six teams during his career in Germany and one in Spain. From those seven crucial matches, Flick won them all. In other words, Flick's winning percentage in finals reaches 100 percent.

We haven't won anything yet. It takes a lot more hard work to achieve it.

The last final won by Flick was the Spanish Super Cup. That was the first trophy he won since coaching Barca this season. In the final, Flick defeated Real 5-2. This 100 percent win record in finals is one of the factors that makes Barca heavily favored to win the Spanish Super Cup.

In addition, Flick has always been able to secure victories whenever facing Real. So far this season, Real and Barca have met twice, with Barca winning each time by a significant margin. The German coach always knows how to neutralize Real.

Despite being favored, Barca President Joan Laporta urged Flick and all players to remain cautious of deceptive praise. Laporta reminded them to always be vigilant against any possibilities. The current condition of Real, which is not favored, has the potential to backfire on Barca if they let their guard down.

"We haven't won anything yet. It takes a lot more hard work to achieve it," Laporta said on Friday (25/4/2025).

Barca is the most successful club in the Copa del Rey. Since the tournament began in 1903, the "Blaugrana" has won the championship 31 times. Following Barca is Athletic Bilbao, which has collected 24 trophies. Meanwhile, Real is in third place among clubs with the most Copa del Rey trophies, having won it 20 times.

From the beginning, Flick has emphasized the importance of trophies for a club. He is not the type of coach who idolizes beautiful playing styles. According to Flick, a team will only be remembered if it continues to win trophies. Playing beautifully but losing means nothing to Flick. This is why he is very serious about approaching his second final with Barca.

Flick intentionally rested six of his best players during the previous match against Real Mallorca, which ended in a 1-0 victory. Jules Kounde, Pau Cubarsí, Gerard Martin, Frenkie De Jong, Raphinha, and Fermin Lopez, who usually receive more trust, were surprisingly benched by Flick. This move was made to give them more time to rest ahead of facing Real.

Flick has indicated that he will not experiment in the upcoming match. He is not the type of coach like Pep Guardiola, who enjoys trying new things in crucial matches. The football public still remembers Guardiola's experiment in the UEFA Champions League final against Chelsea, which ended in defeat.

Flick's mindset is not as complex as Guardiola's. Each player will occupy their position without any alterations whatsoever. He will implement an attacking style with a high defensive line, which has become a hallmark of Barca this season.

Many parties believe that Flick's task will be much easier considering that Real has one day less of rest compared to Barca. However, Flick does not share this opinion.

"We do not know whether Real Madrid will benefit from one less day of rest before the final of the Copa del Rey. They have a great coach, and he is one of the best coaches in the world," he said.

On the other hand, the upcoming final match is extremely important for Real. The Copa del Rey may be the only trophy that Real can win. "Los Blancos" have been eliminated from the Champions League. In La Liga, they are four points behind Barca. Winning the Copa del Rey is Real's only hope to end the season with a trophy.

However, Real's performance leading up to the final is highly questionable. Real has only scored one goal in six consecutive matches. Such a goal drought has not been experienced by "Los Blancos" since 2018.

"It is true that in the last few matches we have shown a more solid defense. We are still slightly lacking in terms of effectiveness in the front line. In the first half, we were quite effective, but in the second half, through counterattacks, we need to be sharper," said Real's coach, Carlo Ancelotti.

Ancelotti is under doubt and immense pressure ahead of this match. The trust of Real fans in him is beginning to erode. He is also rumored to be dismissed if he fails to overcome Barca again.

Ancelotti needs to consider ways to suppress the creativity of Barcelona's midfield, which is occupied by Pedri. In addition, Barcelona's winger, Lamine Yamal, is likely to pose a threat to Real's defense. Moreover, Real is currently facing a crisis in the left-back position due to the injuries of Ferland Mendy and Eduardo Camavinga.

Fran Garcia, who had previously been more frequently benched, was inevitably brought in to fill the position. Garcia's abilities will be tested against the agility of Yamal, who typically operates on the right wing.

Amidst a less than satisfactory performance, Ancelotti has confirmed that he can now field Kylian Mbappe. He will be a key player in Real's attacking line. However, Mbappe has yet to be tested against Barca in the style of Flick.

In previous meetings, Mbappe was left wanting every time he faced Barca. The France international was caught offside eight times and failed to convert three one-on-one chances against goalkeeper Inaki Pena that could have changed the game. Real eventually lost 0-4 in the first league meeting.

"We must remain focused, but we are very enthusiastic about the final of the King's Cup in Spain. We were eliminated from the Champions League and are currently in second place in the league. However, we want to bring joy to the Madridistas against Barcelona in the upcoming final," said Real goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. (AFP)