On Sunday afternoon, arch-rivals Real Madrid and Barcelona will do battle in the Supercopa de Espana final at Saudi Arabia’s Al-Awwal Park.
Los Blancos overcame Atletico Madrid to book their place in the final, while Barca dispatched Osasuna to punch their ticket to the showpiece.
🏆🆚✨ Our #superSupercopa final opponent: @FCBarcelona! pic.twitter.com/AnUuo5S9XL— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) January 11, 2024
🏆🆚✨ Our #superSupercopa final opponent: @FCBarcelona! pic.twitter.com/AnUuo5S9XL
Barcelona defeated Real Madrid 3-1 in last year’s Supercopa final, meaning the Catalans have 14 titles to Madrid’s 12. Who will lift the trophy this time around?
On Wednesday, Real Madrid claimed a dramatic 5-3 victory over Atletico in the semi-finals, coming from behind on two occasions before winning in extra time.
Carlo Ancelotti’s men racked up 57% possession and 22 shots against their cross-city rivals, with Joselu and Brahim Diaz scoring the extra-time goals.
Not only have Los Blancos won each of their last six matches across all competitions, but they have also won 11 of their previous 12.
Having won 23 of their 27 encounters this season – suffering a solitary defeat along the way – Real Madrid will back themselves to secure the silverware on Sunday.
On Thursday, Barcelona joined Real Madrid in the Supercopa final by defeating Osasuna 2-0, courtesy of goals from Robert Lewandowski and Lamine Yamal.
Xavi’s men enjoyed 68% possession while notching 20 shots in the semi-final, limiting their opponents to just three attempts on target.
Barca have now won each of their previous four matches across all competitions, ending a three-game winless run that temporarily halted their progress last month.
Still, third-placed Barcelona remain seven points behind first-placed Real Madrid in the La Liga table, having failed to win three of their last six league outings.
Head-to-head: Real Madrid defeated Barcelona 5-1 on aggregate to win the 2017 Supercopa final, although the Catalans gained their revenge last year.
Los Blancos also claimed a 2-1 victory over Barca in La Liga back in October, meaning Ancelotti’s men have won each of their last two competitive meetings with Xavi’s side.
Team news: Real Madrid are currently without the injured quartet of David Alaba, Eder Militao, Thibaut Courtois and Lucas Vazquez.
On the flip side, Barca’s injury list contains Marcos Alonso, Joao Cancelo, Gavi, Raphinha, Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Inigo Martinez.
Real Madrid and Barcelona invariably serve up an eventful encounter whenever they meet, meaning Sunday’s showdown should be a tasty affair.
Forebet predicts that Real Madrid and Barcelona will play out a high-scoring draw in normal time, forcing extra time and/or penalties to determine the winner.