SPANISH SUPER CUP FINAL PREVIEW: REAL MADRID VS BARCELONA

The season's first final is going down in Saudi Arabia and it's between Spain's two biggest rivals. Will it be 12-14 or 13-13?

All is set for FC Barcelona in Saudi Arabia where whey will play for the first title of the season. It is a game that has the potential to define the La Liga season as it's between the main contenders for the league title. 

Barcelona, playing their first final since 2021, will be itching to clinch this one and use it as a major morale boost for the remainder of the season. To get to this stage, they hard their work cut out for them though. They were pegged back twice by a very good Real Betis and were forced to penalties, where they won 4-2, thanks majorly to TerStegen's heroics.  

They also face a very big obstacle in the final. Very few teams and coaches, if any, are as efficient as Los Blancos and Carlo Ancellotti in finals. Granted they are not at their very best right now, as they too were forced to penalties by a sturdy Valencia, last year's Copa del Rey finalists, where they won 4-3. They still however posess the required mentality and quality to equal Barcelona's 13 Spanish super cup wins later tonight, and at the same time, retain their Super cup crown.

INTERESTING STATS 

• The last six matches between these two teams (five in La Liga, one in the Supercopa) have featured 23 goals combined.
• This will be the 251st meeting between these two clubs in a competitive match, with Real Madrid winning 101 times to Barcelona’s 97. 
• Barcelona have kept just one clean sheet in their last five games across competitions, while Real Madrid have two clean sheets.
• Barcelona are unbeaten in 12 matches in which Robert Lewandowski has scored this season across all competitions.
• Barça do not have a pretty record in previous Super Cup Final clashes with the 'old enemy'. Seven times they have met in the decider, and on a frustrating six of those occasions, it has been the all-whites who emerged victorious.

TEAM NEWS

Real Madrid

Carlo Ancellotti will be without David Alaba and Aurelien Tchouameni, who didn't travel to Saudi Arabia. Lucas Vasquez, Eder Militao and Eduardo Camavinga sustained injuries against Valencia and are doubts.

The rest of the team picks itself. Courtois, Carvajal, Nacho, Rudiger and Mendy will line the back, Kross, Modric and Valverde in the midfield and Benzema flanked by the Brazilian duo of Vinicius Jr and Rodrygo.

Barcelona

 La Blaugrana have a full squad ahead of this clash which might provide a bit of selection headache for Xavi.

TerStegen is in fine form and will continue between the sticks. Ronald Araujo has proved to be an expert on tying down Vinicius and will likely start at RB, with Koundé, Christensen and Balde completing the defense. Pedri is sure to start, but the remaining spots, yet again, are between Gavi, Frenkie and Busquets, or depending on the tactics, for all of them. 

Robert Lewandowski is back to scoring form and will surely start alongside Dembele. The remaining spot in the front line will go to either Ansu Fati,who played a great game against Real Betis or Raphinha, who's beginning to find his feet in Barcelona.

Where are Real Madrid vs Barcelona playing?

Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Stadium: King Fahd International Stadium

Date: Sunday 15 January

Kick-off Time: 19:00 GMT / 14:00 EST / 11:00 PST, 20:00 🇳🇬

VAR: Jose Luis Gonzalez Gonzalez

Referee: Ricardo De Burgos Bengoechea

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Both sides struggled in the semifinals and had were pushed to the limit. Los Blancos are a bit fragile defensively which is something Barcelona can exploit.

Xavi's men however, have the annoying habit of not killing games off early enough and will be punished if they let that happen here.

Neither are at their very best, but among many uncertainties, one guarantee is that the latest edition of the greatest club rivalry will be worth tuning in for.

SPANISH SUPER CUP SEMI FINAL PREVIEW: REAL BETIS VS BARCELONA

Real Madrid, having won the first semifinal against Valencia, await the winners of this delectable tie for the grand finale on Sunday.

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.