SPANISH SUPER CUP
Ancelotti vs Xavi, a Clásico roller coaster for Real Madrid vs Barcelona
Managers Carlo Ancelotti and Xavi Hernández meet for the ninth time on Sunday in the Spanish Super Cup final, with goals guaranteed.
Ancelotti vs Xavi, Episode IX. Rarely has a head-to-head been so synonymous with spectacle. When managers Carlo Ancelotti faces Xavi Hernández, sparks fly. It has always been so. Settle in and fasten your seatbelts for tomorrow’s Spanish Super Cup grand finale.
Ancelotti vs Xavi: head to head
There have been eight official matches between the two: four in the League, two in the Copa del Rey, and two in the Spanish Super Cup finals (specifically, the last two). To give you an idea of the intensity in these matches, the average number of goals has been 3.5 per Clásico. And to provide perspective on the balance of power, in these eight encounters, Real Madrid has scored 14 goals and Barcelona, another 14.
The game of all games, with these two coaches, is tightly contested. Ancelotti has won four of the last eight official encounters, and Xavi, the other four. Madrid and Barça have only drawn once in their last 16 Clásicos (including friendly matches in the United States). That sole draw was in Xavi’s debut: the Supercopa 2022 final, decided by a ‘Halconazo’ in extra time (2-3).
Spanish Super Cup stories
Ancelotti-Xavi guarantees goals
No Ancelotti-Xavi match has ever ended 0-0, and only once did it conclude with fewer than two goals: Barcelona’s 1-0 win in the last Copa del Rey semi-finals, which Madrid eventually overturned with a resounding 4-0 victory in the second leg. The rhythm of this duel is pure Rock & Roll. There have been historic nights, such as when the Catalans also savoured their own remarkable 4-0 victory. Pure showmanship.
On Sunday, Xavi, who has acknowledged feeling a special motivation in these matches, and Ancelotti, who, with ten titles to his name at Real Madrid, is just one short of matching Zidane’s record, will face off again. The upcoming match promises more than three goals and, considering past records, is unlikely to end in a draw. The balance of the 4-4 record will tip one way or another. In Riyadh, intense emotions are guaranteed.
We at AS USA are all over the Spanish Super Cup and will be bringing you all the action live.