Barça-Madrid: beginning and end at La Cartuja

Barça wants this to be the beginning, which could mean the end for a struggling Madrid. The Blaugrana team faces the first of three titles it aspires to this spring with hope. It could be gigantic, grand, or magnificent depending on the harvest, but what it is is already exciting. The renovated Cartuja de Sevilla , without an athletics track, crosses the paths of Barça and Real Madrid fans in the Copa del Rey final (10:00 p.m.) with 70,000 people in the stands and an almost summery atmosphere. A unique opportunity for Flick's team to lift their second title of the season, after the Super Cup, and, above all, to strike a blow that would seem like a knockout blow for Madrid. But sometimes the wounded are the most dangerous, and the Whites arrive at the match with much more than just scratches after their elimination from the Champions League and their disadvantageous position in La Liga .

Lamine Yamal vs. Mbappé: two clear victories for the Blaugrana so far

A Barcelona victory would only increase the real and psychological momentum with which both teams arrive in Seville. A Real Madrid victory, on the other hand, would provide a phenomenal breath of fresh air for the Whites and renew their confidence ahead of the league derby on May 11. Therefore, tonight's match can be considered, in terms of morale, a two-in-one. Barça is hoping to win the Copa del Rey; Madrid, contrary to what its history dictates, needs it.

In this eternal game of connecting vessels, Barcelona showcases its joy, its youth, its uninhibited attacking play, and its agonizing hunger. Cubarsí, Lamine Yamal, Fermín, and Gavi could all lift their first Cup. The winger, still a minor, will be playing his 99th game for Barcelona and has so far proven that he's a youngster who thrives in the spotlight. He did so in the Euros, in both matches against Madrid this season, at the Metropolitano, and against Borussia Dortmund. His boots always draw danger. Barça needs his inspiration as they will be without Lewandowski's goals, who is out due to injury, as is Balde. Ferran, the Cup's top scorer, and Gerard Martín are the presumed replacements in a lineup that counts on Olmo as the attacking midfielder.

Meanwhile, Madrid is mourning Camavinga's injury and is considering reinforcing its four midfielders (Tchouméni, Ceballos, Modric, and Bellingham) and bringing back Mendy and Mbappé, who have been absent since the elimination against Arsenal. Lamine Yamal is also back against Mbappé. In the previous two matches this season, the teenager emerged victorious within a resounding global panorama: 0-4 at the Bernabéu and 5-2 in the Super Cup final in Saudi Arabia. The Frenchman, like his entire team, is obliged to redeem himself, especially after hearing the whistles of his home crowd. This is further reason for Madrid's rage heading into the match and more reason for Barça to know the path to victory. They did it in Chamartín and Jeddah. The favorite label can be daunting, especially against an opponent who tends to rise in finals, but Flick's squad will have to overcome it if they want to lift the Cup at midnight or in the early hours of the morning.

The title in Seville could have double significance for the outcome of the League.

Talking about a treble is a bit of a stretch, but the Blaugrana have earned the right to dream. Sevilla isn't the end of the road for Barça, with the Champions League and the La Liga finale awaiting them no matter what happens today. But for Madrid, it's now or never.