Another Clásico, another trophy. Real Madrid and Barcelona will meet at the King Abdullah Sports City stadium in Jeddah on Sunday night, the Spanish Supercopa on the line – and for the third straight year it’s the two biggest clubs in LaLiga who will contest the final.
By Karl Matchett
New format, same old same old
Starting in 2020, the powers that be in Spain decided that there wasn’t enough variety in the Supercopa, not enough fans getting a chance at seeing their team lift the trophy. Or, perhaps, they decided there wasn’t enough money in the national game, or not enough fixtures. Either way, the outcome was an outsourced competition: four sides, semifinals and then a final, played (except in the Covid campaign) in Saudi Arabia.
In the 14 years prior to the change, the winners were Real Madrid or Barcelona 11 times – or 79 per cent. After this final, the sixth edition of the new format, it’ll be one of those sides who triumph for the fifth time, or 83 per cent of the time. Perhaps the original intentions were good, but the more things change, the more they seem stay the same.
Still, El Clásico is a much-watched event whenever it occurs and no wonder given the stars on show. Barca’s shone in autumn to rampage at the Bernabéu and win 4-0; prior to that Madrid had won three in a row. More intriguingly, the fixture is currently on 15 consecutive matches without a draw; one more and it will equal the all-time record in the rivalry, set between 1948 and 1954.
Recent form
Real Madrid sit top of LaLiga after winning six of their last eight, while across all competitions it’s six wins in seven (Atlético could leapfrog them today, as they play a league fixture vs. Osasuna). That includes a Copa del Rey win over minnows Minera though, as well as the semi-final of this competition in midweek. Between October and December, Real had endured a run of four defeats in seven.
As for Barcelona, they’ve been the reverse: immense earlier, stuttering lately. A seven-match win streak was halted in mid-November and since then it’s only five wins from 11, seeing them drop from first to third in the league just before Christmas.
Team news
Injuries for Real give Carlo Ancelotti some concerns, with Jude Bellingham suffering a muscle injury late on in the semi-final and Federico Valverde going off injured earlier in the game. Aurélien Tchouaméni has been filling in at centre-back but he also went off after a head injury. Barcelona have long-term absences including Marc-André ter Stegen and Andreas Christensen, while Dani Olmo can play after being given a temporary licence.
Key player
Eduardo Camavinga might have a dual role on Sunday, with the midfielder a potential stand-in defensively and a necessary runner centrally if Valverde or Bellingham miss out. Fortunately he’s excellent in both areas of the pitch, ranking in the top ten per cent Europe-wide for his role in touches of the ball and the top two per cent for defensive actions.
Prediction
Real Madrid to simply find a way, which would make them 14-times winners of the trophy, jointly the most alongside their rivals. Madrid 2-1 Barcelona.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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