The two LaLiga behemoths have already played twice this season, in the Spanish Super Cup and in the league, with the Catalans comprehensively winning both (5-2 and 4-0).
The Copa del Rey final will be the 260th El Clasico - the most played match in Spanish football history - and the 39th meeting in the domestic cup competition.
Both teams will also meet again in the league just two weeks after the final in what could be a decisive 90 minutes in terms of the destination of this season's title.
Before that crunch game there is the small matter of other domestic silverware to be won, with Barca looking to land the trophy for the first time since 2021 (4-0 vs. Athletic Club).
Barcelona have won most Copas del Rey in history
The Blaugranes do have a brilliant all-time record in the competition (31 titles, the most of any team) and have won the title in nine of their last 12 finals.
However, two of those 12 losses were to Los Blancos (0-1 in 2011 and 1-2 in 2014) with the other being against Valencia in 2019 (1-2).
Barcelona vs Athletic Club is the only fixture played more times in Copa del Rey finals than El Clasico (nine), and the balance of the seven finals between Barca and Real thus far is four titles for the all whites and three for the Catalans.
Carlo Ancelotti's side might fancy their chances given that Real have won their last two finals: vs Barcelona 2-1 in 2014 and vs Osasuna 2-1 in 2023, the latter played at Estadio de la Cartuja which is the venue for Saturday's final.
Real Madrid haven't got over loss of Toni Kroos
However, Flashscore's César Suárez isn't so sure.
“The first thing I would tell you is that Real Madrid haven't yet got over the retirement of Toni Kroos. The team didn't need Mbappé, they needed a player in the Kroos mould,” he said.
“Secondly, the defence. Carvajal and Militao's injuries have been devastating and despite Fran Garcia's improvement, Ancelotti doesn't trust him as much as he does Mendy.
“The Frenchman has been a shadow of himself, not to mention David Alaba, who has returned from serious injury at a very, very, very low level.
“If the full-backs are vulnerable too it's largely because of the lack of help from the wingers. Both Rodrygo and Vinicius don't defend well enough and Tchouameni is the one who has to give that defensive balance to the team.
“Ancelotti can’t escape criticism either. He always gives priority to the most experienced players even if they’re not playing well.
“Brahim or Endrick, for example, can be a better fit, but they will never start in big games if Rodrygo, Mbappe and Vinicius are healthy.
“Also, Real Madrid crossed 33 times into Arsenal's box during the Champions League clash and didn't score a single goal from one of them… where's Joselu?”
Goals a virtual guarantee in El Clasico
Goals should at least be guaranteed because there hasn't been a draw in the last 16 Clasico's in all competitions (10 wins for Real, six for Barca).
That's the their longest such streak in the last 58 years since a run of 17 consecutive matches between 1960 and 1967 (11 wins for Los Blancos and six for Barcelona), and Barca will almost certainly be rueing the fact that LaLiga's top scorer, Robert Lewandowski, is unlikely to be risked in this game so as not to aggravate his injury.
If the game can't be settled during normal or extra time, then only the second-ever Clasico penalty shoot-out will take place. The first came in the second leg of the 1985 Copa de la Liga quarterfinals at Santiago Bernabeu, when Barca won 4-1.
Although the Catalans have won their last three penalty shoot-outs in all competitions, the two they've had in finals saw them lose to Steaua Bucharest in the 1986 European Cup (0-2), and win the 1998 Copa del Rey final against Mallorca (5-4).
Barca's current form gives them edge over eternal rivals Real
Real's record in shoot-outs should give them confidence if their players need to step up from 12 yards to win the game against their fiercest rivals.
They've won 11 of their 15 shoot-outs in all competitions, and are currently on their best such run, winning the last five in a row. In finals, they've won all three (all against Atletico Madrid): 1975 Copa del Rey (4-3), 2016 Champions League (5-3) and the 2020 Spanish Super Cup (4-1).
It's current form which dictates that Barcelona go into this weekend's final as strong favourites, however.
They've lost just one of their last 27 matches in all competitions – (W22 D4) – a 3-1 UCL defeat at Borussia Dortmund. With 22 wins in that time, they have the second-most in all competitions across Europe's big five leagues behind only PSG (23).
Real Madrid, by contrast, have played 56 matches in all competitions so far this season - one more than they did in the whole of last season (55) - and have lost 12 of those 56 matches compared to just two last season.
No wonder Flashscore's David Olivares has nothing but positive things to say about the Catalan giants.
“Barca arrive at the Copa del Rey final in their prime. Unbeaten domestically in 2025 (performing brilliantly in La Liga, the Copa del Rey, and the Super Cup), they’ve only lost one Champions League match in the calendar year, the irrelevant second leg of the quarterfinals against Borussia Dortmund,” he noted.
Ferran Torres must step up in absence of Robert Lewandowski
“Flick's problem for the final is the absence, barring a last-minute surprise, of Lewandowski, who is suffering from an injury to the semitendinosus muscle in his left thigh. The Polish hitman has been enjoying himself in Catalonia and is LaLiga's top scorer at 36.
“However, both Ferran Torres (who opened the scoring against Celta Vigo last Saturday) and Dani Olmo (who scored the only goal of the game on Tuesday against Mallorca) are showing very high levels of performance.
“Then there's Raphinha, the big surprise of the season, who is the second-highest scorer in the Champions League, and in midfield Pedri is enjoying the best form of his career, directing Barca's matches at will.
“Lamine Yamal, who has been a little off the pace in recent matches, will want to make a difference again but anything can happen in a final.
“A final that will be the first to be played at the new-look Estadio de La Cartuja as the athletics track has now disappeared.”
