Barcelona are back in Supercup action, having finished as runners-up in La Liga last season. Following the win against Atletico Madrid on Sunday, the Catalans will want to continue their winning form as they take on Real Betis in the semifinal of the Supercopa de España. Barça are kings of this competition, having won it 13 times. However, since the expansion of the tournament into four teams, Barcelona are yet to win, reaching the final once. Now's a good a time as any for Xavi's men to break that jinx.
Real Betis won't be pushovers though. This is their second appearance in this competition since 2005, when they also qualified as Copa del Rey champions, but where beaten by Barça 4-2. Los Verdiblancos have been in good form as well, currently in the top 4 of La Liga. They will see this as an opportunity to go one step further in their history.
INTERESTING STATS
- The last seven meetings have seen Barcelona win six games, with Real Betis clinching a victory in the remaining fixture.
- The last eight clashes between Real Betis and Barcelona have seen only the former succeed in keeping a clean sheet in a game (once).
- Barcelona have played in the Supercopa de Espana final (24) more often than any other club while also winning it more than any other team (13).
- Real Betis’s last seven matches against La Liga opposition have yielded just two victories
-Barcelona are on a run of seven wins from ten outings across all competitions.
Last five meetings
7/5/22 Real Betis 1-2 Barça
4/12/21 Barça 0-1 Real Betis
7/2/21 Real Betis 2-3 Barça
7/9/20 Barça 5 -2 Real Betis
9/2/20 Real Betis 2-3 Barça
TEAM NEWS
Real Betis
Los Verdiblancos will have to cope without right-back Youssouf Sabaly, Paul Akouokou and Alex Moreno, who has left for Aston Villa.
So former Barcelona defender Juan Miranda will likely start as the left-back, Aitor Ruibal should deputise for Sabaly on the right flank. Edgar Gonzalez and Victor Ruiz should form the central defensive pairing. The back four will protect Rui Silva between the sticks.
As for the midfield unit, Guido Rodriguez and William Carvalho will look to keep things tight in the middle of the park.
Nabil Fekir will be the most advanced midfielder for Real Betis, looking to pull the strings from a free role. Luiz Henrique and Rodri Sanchez should be the two wide men, with Borja Iglesias leading the attack.
Barcelona
Xavi's men all have a clean bill of health ahead of this game. Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres, who are suspended for the next two La Liga games, will be set to feature in Saudi Arabia. The defensive unit of Koundé, Araujo, Christensen and Balde worked so well against Atleti and might feature again in this clash, in front of TerStegen who will start ahead of Pena.
The midfield is where it gets interesting. Pedri is sure to start, but the remaong spots are up for grabs, between Busquets, Gavi, Frenkie, Sergi and Pablo. Dembele and Raphinha will probably line up alongside Lewy.
Where and when are Real Betis vs Barcelona playing?
Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Stadium: King Fahd International Stadium
Date: Thursday 12 January
Kick-off Time: 19:00 GMT / 14:00 ET / 11:00 PT. 20:00 🇳🇬
Referee: Carlos del Cerro
It's bound to be an entertaining clash filled with goals, as is often the case when these sides meet. Real Betis have the quality to ask strong questions of Barcelona's backline, but Barcelona, in the form they're in, with a potential El Clasico to look forward to at the weekend, are the favorites on paper, but they will have to prove that on the pitch.
