Real Madrid may have come up short in all three El Clasico meetings this season, but as they prepare to face Barcelona one final time, there are strong reasons for Carlo Ancelotti and his team to approach the clash with quiet confidence.
History, strategy, and some notable weaknesses in Barcelona’s setup all tilt the momentum slightly in Madrid’s favour.
One glaring issue that Ancelotti will no doubt look to exploit is Barcelona’s vulnerability from set-pieces. This problem has haunted them all season and remains unresolved.
Real Madrid already exposed this soft spot during the Copa del Rey final, when Aurelien Tchouameni fired in a header from Arda Guler’s corner.
Although Barcelona eventually walked away with the trophy, the goal highlighted how easily Real can cause chaos in Flick’s defensive lines during dead-ball scenarios.
Barcelona’s troubles with set-piece defending
Barcelona’s Champions League semi-final tie against Inter only added fuel to the fire. In the first leg, the Italians struck twice from set-piece situations, capitalising on poor marking and slow reactions.
Flick attempted to tighten the system for the return leg at San Siro, but Inter continued to find gaps—Lautaro Martínez and Marcus Thuram’s movement once again created havoc, showing that the problem is far from solved.
Barcelona have had troubles dealing with set pieces. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)
Even without Antonio Rudiger, who has been pivotal in aerial battles, Real Madrid possess multiple weapons. Tchouameni, Jude Bellingham, and even young centre-back Raul Asencio have all shown themselves to be genuine threats in the box.
With pinpoint deliveries likely from Luka Modric or Guler, Barcelona’s defence will be under constant pressure whenever Madrid win corners or free-kicks.
Exploiting Szczesny
Another area that could benefit Madrid is the inconsistency of Wojciech Szczesny, who has shown signs of nerves recently when dealing with crosses.
Once commanding in such situations, the Polish keeper now appears hesitant, and Real Madrid’s players will be keen to test him early, especially under aerial bombardment.
While Barcelona have enjoyed the upper hand in this season’s head-to-heads, the tactical chessboard favours Real Madrid this time around.
If Ancelotti can get his side to capitalise on set-pieces and keep the pressure high, there’s every chance that Los Blancos could finish the season’s El Clasico series on a winning note.