Real Madrid fought hard in the second half, but they fell short once again, falling 3-2 in the 2025 Copa del Rey Final against Barcelona to lose their third Clasico in three tries this season. The loss means that now the Champions League and Copa del Rey trophies are both out of play for Real, who are starting down their first trophyless season of Carlo Ancelotti's second reign as manager.
To make matters worse, Antonio Rudiger is facing suspension after inexplicably launching a projectile at the referee in the final minutes of the game. Not only that, but Real Madrid could play the final five matches of the 2024/25 LaLiga season without another key defender.
Ferland Mendy already returned from another lengthy spell on the sidelines to start against Barcelona and Lamine Yamal, but mere minutes into his important comeback, the left back went down with another injury and had to be taken back off for Fran Garcia.
Ferland Mendy is injured again
The biggest injury scare after El Clasico, Mendy has indeed suffered an injury, according to a report from Miguel Angel Diaz of COPE. He has an injury to the right quadriceps muscle. Center midfielder Dani Ceballos and center back Antonio Rudiger are also dealing with discomfort, but Mendy is the one who has an actual injury.
It's unclear how long Mendy will be out, but given the on-and-off nature of the soft-tissue injuries he has dealt with throughout the 2024/25 season, the Real Madrid man's season could very well be over. Real still have five LaLiga fixtures left this campaign, including one last decisive El Clasico in two weeks that will completely seal the fate of the title.
Fran didn't do too horribly against Yamal, but he was clearly on the losing end of the battles against the Spanish phenom, He will be in for another rough go-around, whereas Mendy has an established record of winning big trophies and getting the better of big opponents defensively.
Since Mendy has missed so much time with injury, his latest ailment may not seem like a big deal to Real Madrid, but, make no mistake, it is absolutely a tough loss for the Royal Whites. Real Madrid will have to finish the rest of the season with a depleted back line due to the Mendy injury and Rudiger suspension, and that is more music to Barcelona ears with mere weeks left in the LaLiga campaign.