A Classic for a Super Cup and more
Real Madrid defends title against Barça with the demand to win again
MADRID, 14 Ene. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Real Madrid and FC Barcelona meet this Sunday (8:00 p.m.) at the King Fahd International Stadium for the final of the Spanish Super Cup, a duel at the top for the first title of the season, which the whites defend and which they want the Catalans as a possible starting point.
The second Clásico of the season, after the league that Madrid won (3-1) last October at the Santiago Bernabéu, finally gives this ‘Final 4’ format of the Super Cup the desired duel for the title, although with both eternal rivals in a discreet moment of football.
This was seen in the semifinals, where both needed penalties to advance, unable to clearly impose their favoritism against Valencia and Real Betis. The results prove Carlos Ancelotti and Xavi Hernández right for the moment, but the game between Madrid and Catalans is far from being desired.
Madrid went to Arabia after losing to Villarreal and, between the World Cup break and various injury problems, they have lost the sweet moment of several of their key players. Meanwhile, Barça has strengthened its leadership despite losing a draw against Espanyol, but it is still fair in performance.
A final, a Clásico and reinforcing confidence for the rest of the season are great incentives for the two historic rivals, with a Madrid that wants to defend the crown and experience a certain ‘deja vu’. Ancelotti’s men also had their January slope last year, but they kept the Super Cup and then they did a double.
Despite the fact that he is not going through his best moment, the League and Champions League champion wants to continue the winning idyll. The Italian coach hopes to recover the low block in defense that has given him such good results and that his stars will shine again. After a long injury, Benzema has scored again, although mostly from a penalty, and Vinícius and Valverde have not yet recovered their level.
The improvement after the World Cup is also needed by Barça, collectively and individually, although they have stretched that leadership in the League to three points over the whites. Xavi’s men couldn’t beat Espanyol, they came close to disaster against Intercity in the Cup and suffered a lot against Atlético and now with Betis in Riyadh.
Ter Stegen has covered the holes behind, like Thibaut Courtois in Madrid, and in attack Robert Lewandowski is out of tune, in the middle of the sanction that does not prevent him from playing in Arabia, and Ferran, missing. In addition, the culé team does not kill the games and on top of that it does not achieve its intention to dominate and have the ball, which ends up suffering many games. Xavi sees Ansu Fati grow at least and Dembélé continues to be a vital player for Barça.
The whites have lost Alaba and Tchouaméni, to which was added Lucas Vázquez against Valencia. All in all, Ancelotti will be able to count on a very recognizable eleven, with Nacho, Mendy or Carvajal on the sides. Barça finished the semifinal with Frenkie de Jong and Dembélé touched, and Xavi has more variables that point to the moment of Ansu Fati after his goal against Betis.
Both giants arrive at a similar moment, with their doubts and with their physique somewhat at the limit, but with an important prize at stake. “This club doesn’t allow you to think you have a full belly,” Ancelotti said of continuing to win titles. On the other side, Xavi arrived in November 2021 with the aim of winning again as has not been done since that year and the turning point may be in Riyadh.
DATASHEET:
–POSSIBLE ALIGNMENTS.
REAL MADRID: Courtois; Carvajal, Militao, Rudiger, Nacho; Kroos, Valverde, Modric; Rodrygo, Benzema and Vinicius.
FC BARCELONA: Ter Stegen; Araujo, Kounde, Christensen, Balde; Busquets, Gavi, De Jong, Pedri; Dembele/Ansu Fati and Lewandowski.
–REFEREE: De Burgos Bengoetxea (C.Vasco).
–ESTADIO: King Fahd International
–HOURS: 8:00 p.m./Movistar.