Vinicius Jr had three shots in the most recent meeting between these sides, with one of these attempts finding the target, as Real Madrid came away 2-1 winners at the Bernabeu.

Real Madrid had 10 shots on target in that game, and while they won’t have home advantage to flex that dominance again here - Barcelona are a side that routinely give up chances. Hansi Flick’s side have conceded more goals than any other side currently in the top five of LaLiga, showing how defensive solidity is a secondary element to their game.

Vinicius’ seasonal numbers line up with his performance in the most recent clash. He’s averaging 3.32 shots per 90 in LaLiga this term, with a healthy average of 1.41 shots on target per 90. This tally has returned just five goals for the winger, which is below the output he would like with the amount of chances that fall his way.

Vinicius’ shot numbers in the Champions League this season are similar, with 18 shots across his six appearances (3.60 per 90), and five of these efforts finding the target (1.00 per 90). Vinicius had two shots in the semi-final, but I think he’ll get more opportunities here against a Barcelona backline that is incredibly vulnerable.

Raphinha netted twice from three shots in the semi-final of the Spanish Super Cup, as Barcelona thrashed Athletic Club 5-0 and booked their spot in the final with ease. That shot output is commonplace for Raphinha, who has taken 36 shots across his 10 starts in LaLiga this season (4.22 per 90).

Raphinha took 114 shots across his 36 appearances in LaLiga last season (3.61 per 90), netting 18 goals from these efforts - which was a tally only bettered by Robert Lewandowski. Raphinha also has a strong personal record against Real Madrid, having netted twice in the Spanish Super Cup final last season as Barcelona ran out 5-2 winners, the winger had four shots in that clash.

Raphinha didn’t feature in the most recent clash between the sides which finished 2-1 to Madrid, but Barcelona did have 15 shots in that clash. Raphinha netted twice in the previous clash, which Barcelona won 4-3, with the Brazilian having six shots in that meeting.

Perhaps more so than other fixtures, I’m always interested in the recent head-to-head between these two sides; to establish who has a psychological advantage. While Real Madrid may have won their last meeting in October, Barcelona had gone five unbeaten before this. Real Madrid were unconvincing in their semi-final win against Atletico Madrid, despite winning the game 2-1, they conceded 2.26xG and only registered 1.15xG themselves.

Barcelona are riding the crest of a wave at the moment, winning their last nine consecutive games, and scoring 26 goals in the process. Lamine Yamal was benched during Barcelona’s 5-0 dismantling of Atletico Bilbao, due to a stomach issue. You would speculate there’s a high likelihood he will start the Super Cup final, further bolstering Barcelona’s chances.

Mbappe continues to be missing and this is a huge absence in a fixture of this magnitude, Mbappe has scored a whopping six goals in the last four fixtures between the sides, leaving a big hole in the attacking third.

Goals have certainly become a theme in the matches between the El Classico giants in recent history, with over 2.5 goals landing in each of the last eight head-to-head fixtures. A key aspect of this angle pertains to the fact that both sides are giving away plenty of chances at present.

It’s a little easy to be deceived by Barcelona picking up five clean sheets in a row, this has been heavily influenced by opposition teams being wasteful with their chances. In Barcelona’s last three games, they have conceded 1.66xG, 1.60xG, and 1.75xG, this also includes nine big chances being wasted. These numbers certainly aren’t sustainable, and Real Madrid should have the ruthlessness to capitalise.

While Real Madrid are also winning games, it’s a familiar tale for them, their last four games across La Liga and the Super Cup have seen them concede 1.36xG, 1.56xG, 1.05xG, and 2.26xG. During this period, they have surprisingly conceded just three goals. I can see this being a very open contest.

Raphinha is continually one of the most underrated players in this Barcelona side, and comes into this clash in good form having netted twice and registered an assist in Barcelona’s 5-0 win over Athletic Club in the semi-final.

Raphinha has scored seven goals across just 10 starts in LaLiga this season, building on a brilliant campaign last term, which saw him score 34 goals across his 57 appearances for the club. Only Robert Lewandowski (27) scored more goals for Barcelona in LaLiga last season (18).

Raphinha also has an excellent personal record against Real Madrid. He didn’t start the most recent clash between the sides, but netted twice in Barcelona’s 4-3 win over Madrid back in May. Raphinha has also caused damage in this competition before, netting twice against Real Madrid in Barcelona’s 5-2 win over Los Blancos in the Super Cup final a year ago.

Barcelona only committed nine fouls on their trip to the Bernabeu earlier in the season, though two of these were on Jude Bellingham. The 22-year-old contested 18 duels in that game, losing 11 of them - suggesting that he will be a focus here for foul involvements.

Winning fouls has always been a strong part of Bellingham’s game. His size and strength allows him to push opposition players out of the way and force them to drag him to the ground to stop his progression. He’s won 28 fouls across his 12 appearances in LaLiga this term (2.29 per 90).

I’d expect Barcelona to go over the nine fouls they committed at the Bernabeu, seeing as Hansi Flick’s side have committed 17, 23 and 13 fouls in the three prior head-to-head meetings. Bellingham has drawn 2+ fouls in each of the last four meetings between these sides, drawing tallies of three and five in two of these games.

Rodrygo hasn’t played as much as he would have liked under Xabi Alonso, but did score the crucial winning goal against Atletico Madrid in the semi-final, which should be enough to earn him a start in the showpiece event.

Rodrygo was a constant threat in that semi-final, managing four shots in total - three of which managed to find the target. He usually saves his best performances for high profile matches, and has recorded four goal contributions across his six starts in LaLiga this term.

This small sample highlights what Rodrygo can offer this Real Madrid side, with his pace and willingness to run in behind sure to cause Barcelona’s high line problems. Rodrygo has also registered two goal contributions across two starts in the Champions League this term.