Real Madrid - Barcelona summary: score, goals, highlights | Clásico Spanish Super Cup final
Real Madrid - Barcelona: El Clásico as it happened
Full-time thoughts:
It will go down as one of the all-time great Clásico performances from either side: Real Madrid dominated Barcelona from start to finish, not letting them even imagine what it might feel like to lift the trophy this year.
The first goal was a taste of what was to come, with Vini Jr getting in behind after a mix-up in the blaugrana defence letting a Bellingham pass roll through. Vini swept past Iñaki Peña and slotted away.
It took Xavi's side by surprise, and Carvajal soon found Rodrygo in behind again, with the Brazilian setting up his compatriot for his second of the game with just 9 minutes gone.
The third came as Barcelona's collapse continued, with Ronald Araujo giving away a penalty allowing Vini Jr to seal a first-half hat-trick and crush Barcelona hearts.
Lewandowski had cut the lead in half before that with a fine strike, but it was never going to be enough with the way Real Madrid continued to batter them from pillar to post.
The second half was much fo the same, only to an even more extreme level: Real Madrid continued their pursuit for goals, and Rodrygo got number four after a sublime move from a Madrid side full to the brim with confidence.
After that, it was self-destruct mode for Barcelona, who saw Araujo get a red card and finish the game chasing shadows and resorting to kicking Los Blancos players, who simply floated over the challenges with their newly found wings.
The Italian coach sat down in front of the press after Real Madrid secured their 13th Spanish Super Cup in an emphatic win against Barcelona.
Real Madrid squashed, seasoned and fried Barcelona in Saudi Arabia as Vinicius Jr’s first-half hat-trick was too much for the Catalans to contain.
Carlo Ancelotti’s game plan worked to perfection as Los Blancos came at their arch-enemies time and time again, threatening them in behind their defence who, by the end, looked like they were wearing their shirts, shorts and boots on backwards as they stumbled over the finish line a man down.
That's all, folks!
Thank you for joining in with the action today - what a game we were served up by a fantastic Real Madrid, who were worthy winners.
For all the post-match reaction, head over to AS USA.
Joe
Vinicius Jr post-game:
I'm happy, above all after the injury. Thanks to everyone, the physios, the manager, my friends, everyone who helped me to get here, like my teammates.
I'm happy with everything that I did today.
I'm happy for my teammates, last year is last year, but we deserved to win today, with how we're playing in the league and Champions League.
The fans love me quite a bit here, Cristiano is here now scoring a lot, I'm happy for him.
Barça always leave space behind, we saw the videos and attacked there. Thanks to the manager for this and for letting us know what to do.
Me and Jude change between taking penalties. He let me take it because I already had two.
The manager is there for us to tell us to do the right thing. But this is football and I play with the Brazilian magic that I have done since I was young. I miss a lot, but because I want to win.
Xavi post-game:
I'm prepared to withstand all the criticism that comes, I believe in what we're doing and I believe in the players.
It's tough to take but this carries on, I've had these experiences before.
We can't take in any new players this winter, the situation doesn't allow it.
Misa sends her support to Los Blancos
The Real Madrid Femenino goalkeeper has sent her support to her male colleagues after the win.
Here's the moment Real Madrid fans have been waiting for!
The deserved winners, Real Madrid, lift the Spanish Super Cup!
Militão is ready to party!
The centre-back is clearly delighted after Madrid's fantastic victory!
Xavi post-game:
We had a lot of hope and desire to win, but we started badly.
We had the chance to cut the deficit, but the 3-1 wasn't good for us. We weren't comfortable at any moment, the chances we created didn't go in while Madrid caught us a lot on the counter. Last year was great; this year was not.
Sorry to the fans, it wasn't good from us, we have to come back from this. I had a lot of defeats in my career and we'll come back.
This can help us to compete better; they will be tough days ahead with a lot of criticism, we have to accept it and think of what is left of the season.
Congratulations to Madrid, the deserved winners.
And now it's time for Real Madrid to get their medals!
Smiles all round as Los Blancos get the gold medals and stand next to the nearly 10-metre Super Cup inflatable.
We've got the Barcelona medal presentation first...
Real Madrid give their opponents a guard of honour.
An analysis of Vinicius' rating:
The Brazilian's stats for the game certainly paint a perfect picture.
Good news!
The big Super Cup is back on the pitch!
Is Nacho going to lift that one???
Here's how Sofascore saw the game:
Vini Jr with a perfect 10!
At the other end of the scale, Balde got a lower rating than Araujo, who was sent off.
Carlo Ancelotti's instant reaction:
This trophy is two games, we're in good form, but games are coming up. This trophy goes in the cabinet, but we want more.
FULL-TIME!
REAL MADRID WIN THE SPANISH SUPER CUP
We're into the final minute of normal time.
CHANCE FOR REAL MADRID
Tchouaméni tests his luck and cracks a ferocious shot over the bar from distance!
Madrid are still finding spaces behind Barcelona's defence as Xavi's side look out of shape and ideas...
Ceballos & Joselu ON
Valverde & Bellingham OFF
Barcelona are chasing Real Madrid's shadows and have left a few late boots on their opponents. Fermín in particular has come off the bench with his angry face on.
CHANCE FOR REAL MADRID
Lamine Yamal gets in the way of Brahim's shot before Bellingham tries his luck from the edge of the box, hitting a low shot at Iñaki Peña.
Kroos went off to an almighty chorus of boos there, and the player was smiling from ear to ear. Good for him.
Modric & Camavinga ON
Vini Jr & Kroos OFF
CHANCE FOR BARCELONA
It's amazing from João Félix, who controlled the ball with his heel, flicking it over his head inside the box before cracking the whip at Lunin, who saved well.
CHANCE FOR REAL MADRID
WOW!!!
Brahim went on a sensational run from the halfway line, squiggling and squirming one way and then the other before seeing his shot saved.
Bellingham gets on the rebound, which is blocked out to Fede, who smashes wide!
Ooos and ahhhs from the jubilant fans as Rüdiger's long pass from deep in his own half almost finds Vinicius Jr who can't catch up before Iñaki Peña catches the ball.
Brahim ON
Rodrygo OFF
This is superb stuff from Real Madrid, who have Barcelona chasing shadows and looking like lost lambs who fell asleep on the bus and have ended up at the last stop, far away from home.
CHANCE FOR REAL MADRID
Bellingham gets in behind and fires low and hard into the legs of Iñaki Peña!
We're back underway and Barcelona's desperate-o-meter has been thrown in the bin.
It was a second yellow for Araujo as the defender went in hard on Vinicius, swiping a dangerous leg into the winger.
It's all falling apart for Barcelona!
RED CARD FOR RONALD ARAUJO
Ferland Mendy or, as Ancelotti would say, the best left-back in the world, goes up 1vs1 in defence against Lamine Yamal, who can't get past the defender.
Señor Juan Martínez Munuera doesn't give Rodrygo a free-kick as the Brazilian is brought down on the edge of the box by Frenkie De Jong.
Olés from the crowd as Bellingham, Rodrygo and Vini Jr all link up. Then Kroos joins in and the crowd realise they don't like him.
We're back underway and I've just seen Laporta's face from the Presidential box. You can imagine his expression.
It's sublime from Real Madrid, who tear Barcelona apart like Saturn Devouring His Son.
Bellingham finds the space and opens to Valverde on the right, who plays a give and go with Carvajal down the wing.
The Uruguayan switches play to Vini, all on his own on the other side, who squares to Rodrygo and the Brazilian finishes the super move with a cracking low drive from inside the box.
Real Madrid at their devastating best.
RODRYGOOOOOOOOOOOOO
GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL
REAL MADRID GET GOAL NUMBER FOUR!!!!!
Rüdiger goes into Señor Martínez Munuera's book for a late challenge on João Félix. Consider it a welcome present.
Let's see what changes with those substitutes...
João Félix, Fermín & Lamine Yamal ON
Pedri, Ferran & Sergi Roberto OFF
Vinicius, completely unnecessarily, plays a 3-yard pass with his heel and Ancelotti is fizzing with anger at his player.
While Madrid are comfortable, this is not a recommendable policy of how to play against Barcelona...
Or so you'd think. Madrid suddenly create 40 yards of extra room behind the Barça defence and Vini races away, eventually seeing his shot blocked out for a corner.
A couple of Barcelona crosses are defended well by Madrid, who head away with ease. Ancelotti's side have dropped back 20 or so yards, which has given the blaugrana a little initiative to step up.
Ten minutes into the first half and we're yet to see any bite from Barça in terms of attacking threat. Surely Xavi is thinking of changing things up soon....
Koundé does well again to stop another Madrid attack, this time from the right. Bellingham has all the time in the world to take the ball and spray it wide to the full-back, who plays down the wing to Valverde before being tackled.
CHANCE FOR MADRID
Bellingham spins and races forward before playing left to Vinicius. The winger cuts inside and plays outside to the overlapping Englishman, but Koundé does well to slide in and lift his Sofascore rating slightly.
The desperation-o-meter I mentioned earlier was already registering a 10 for Barcelona in the first half - now I'd say it's at 15. They're contesting every decision made by Señor Juan Martínez Munuera, even if there's not debate to be had.
Pedri puts his worm suit on and squirms inside the packed Madrid box, but Mr Everywhere (Bellingham) steps in to take the ball; Los Blancos launch a counter attack with Vini Jr, who slips over.
Barcelona are controlling the ball in the opening stages of the first half as Madrid sit in a comfortable 4-3-3, with Bellingham tucked right into the line of Vini Jr and Rodrygo up top.
Valverde overruns the ball as he sprints down the right and gives Christensen enough time to step over and cut him off.
Barcelona's players are already complaining that Nacho - yes, Nacho - is taking too long with a goal-kick.
Second half underway!
No changes as far as I can see.
Here come the two sides!
Let's see if we get any changes.
Here's how the Sofascore boffins saw the first 45:
Vini leads the way with a whopper of a rating, while poor Jules Koundé won't want to look at his before full-time.
Quite a different tone on the Barça socials...
As you may expect, they're not pushing the character limit on Twitter...
Vini's first of the night:
The mistake from Barcelona to allow Vini Jr in behind set the tone for what was to come.
Half-time!
Well, well, well, what a half of football!
Does El Clásico ever disappoint?
Vinicius Jr will get the headlines for leading his side with a sensational hat-trick but the entire game plan from Los Blancos was stunning from start to finish in the first 45.
Barcelona couldn't contain them as the ball was played in behind again and again.
The Brazilian's first came from a mistake from the Barcelona defence, as Kounde misjudged a pass that let Vini in behind to slide past Iñaki Peña.
Shortly after, the winger got his second after a sensational run from Rodrygo set up his teammate for a tap in from close range. Again, Barcelona were caught out at the back as Carvajal's pass from deep sliced through them with embarrassing ease.
The third came in the form of a penalty, with Araujo the culprit as he pushed the winger over, giving him the chance to slot in from the spot.
In between the goals, Lewandowski cut the difference down with a fine strike but Real Madrid have been utterly dominant.
CHANCE FOR BARCELONA
A corner for Barça is cleared and lands at the feet of Pedri, who goes for goal and skims the post!
Boos, whistles and hisses from the Saudi crowd as Barça keep the ball - they must think Toni Kroos now plays for the blaugrana.
Madrid counter and Mendy sends Vini running behind. The winger stops and looks for the cross that's cleared as Bellingham is sniffing inside the six-yard box.
You can imagine how this added time is going: Real Madrid are in no rush to do absolutely anything while the Barcelona desperate-o-meter is rising...
4 added minutes.
Sergi Roberto asks for calm from his teammates as a simple pass from Araujo flies out for a goal-kick to Lunin.
We're into the final minute of the first half.
Pedri is down after a challenge from Bellingham. It was a 50/50 but it seems that Madrid's midfielder has been booked.
Well, Barcelona are truly shocked after that. They don't know where the ball is as Real Madrid continue to threaten - Rodrygo is almost instantly in behind after another simply yet deadly ball past the blaugrana back line.
A lovely penalty, Vini sent Iñaki Peña stretching to his right and slotted low down.
HAT-TRICK FOR VINI JR
The ball was swung in by Carvajal and Vini Jr went down after it looked like he was pushed in the back...
Vini Jr was brought down by Ronald Araujo!
PENALTY TO REAL MADRID
All off a sudden, things have changed: Madrid are the ones pressing high with the ball and Barcelona are chasing like Christmas puppies.
We're back underway in this crazy Clásico!
Madrid drop deeper and deeper as Barcelona pass, pass and pass some more.
The ball comes in from Balde on the left, it's headed away by Mendy but only to Robert Lewandowski, who smashes it into the back of the net before it touches the floor!
Barcelona try some nice play around Madrid's defensive block but it's no good as Mr Everywhere, Jude Bellingham, steps in well.
That's how Madrid win! comes from the jubilant crowd as we tick over to the half hour mark.
Vini Jr squirms through an impossibly small gap inside the box that is met with gasps from the crowd.
Fortunately for Barça, Araujo steps inn front of him and blocks the danger. Barcelona are wobbling again.
SAVE FROM LUNIN
Barcelona break with Ferran who fires a low shot at Lunin from the right side that crashes into his outstretched leg!
Tchouaméni tries to slip Mendy in behind as the full-back catches Araujo off-guard, but the ball has too much on it and Barça survive. Real Madrid's game plan of finding space behind the defence isn't complicated, but it's extremely effective.
It's an attempt at another counter attack from Real Madrid but Barcelona scramble back and get necessary numbers back to stop their opponents.
Vini Jr tries a long ball over the head of Kounde as Rodrygo sets off in behind, but the Frenchman makes a good connection and sends it away.
The confidence is flowing out of the white kits and spreading out all over the pitch: Rüdiger drags the ball back and slips in towards Lunin, who casually plays out from the back.
Twenty minutes gone and Barcelona continue to probe; they're playing an incredibly high game and Vini Jr is perched on the halfway line, waiting to spring in behind.
Ferran breaks down the right and Mendy makes easy work of his poor cross into the box.
Nothing to report for the last couple of moments as Barcelona continue to take the sting out of the game, with Real Madrid grinning from ear to ear as they press.
BARÇA GO CLOSE!
It's been a disastrous start from Barça but they're almost back in it! Torres smashes an effort off the bar and Lunin tips the follow up from Lewandowski over!
We're back underway and Barcelona are holding onto the ball in an attempt to calm down the Real Madrid players, who look like they could score 3 or 4!
It's a fantastic ball from Rodrgo to set Vini Jr up and Barcelona can't contain the attack!
CHANCE FOR REAL MADRID
Rodrygo fires a thunderbolt at Iñaki Peña from distance!
Kounde fails to take a pass back to him, slipping and letting Vinicius in one vs one against Iñaki Peña. The striker races around the goalkeeper and slides the ball into the net!
It's a huge mistake from Barcelona!
CHANCE FOR REAL MADRID
Bellingham receives from Vini Jr down the left wing and Araujo's slide tackle blocks the shot and sends the ball out for a corner!
CHANCE FOR BARCELONA
Barcelona attack down the right and it's a huge let-off for Real Madrid.
Gündogan slides a pass through the gap between Mendy and Nacho for Lewandowski. The striker plays square and it's Sergi Roberto who gets a touch on it from close range to send it into the grasp of Lunin.
CHANCE FROR REAL MADRID
It's delightful from Madrid who burst down the right.
Carvajal gets the ball from Rodrygo and plays back towards the Brazilian on his left side, but he can't get a toe on the ball to direct it towards Iñaki Peña.
The first screams from the fans as Vini Jr breaks down the left and is taken down by Christensen. No foul given on the edge of the blaugrana box.
Kroos is being booed once again as Real Madrid get their first touches of the ball.
It's Araujo at right-back for Barça and Kounde is alongside Christensen.
Spanish Super Cup final underway!
Jude Bellingham kicks off El Clásico!
The big Super Cup has been put back into its box as we have the official team photos.
Here come the players!
We're ready to go!
The players are in the tunnel!
Although I must add that those at the back of the queue probably missed the light show. Hopefully they recorded it at home.
The light show is over and a giant inflatable Spanish Super Cup has emerged from inside a huge box on the pitch.
I hope Deco has the 256gb version of whatever phone he has, as this light show is seriously dragging.
Time for the light show!
Deco has his phone out and recording the light show, so at least he's having fun.
Who's got history on their side?
The nervous feelings are racing around the absolutely packed Al-Awwal Park ahead of kick-off, but which set of fans can fall back on history?
Well, Barcelona are the most successfulteam in the history of the Spanish Super Cup, winning it 14 times, while Real Madrid come second with 12 victories.
So, it's the blaugrana who can hope that history repeats itself once again, especially considering they thrashed Real Madrid in the Super Cup final of last year's competition.
As the focus shifts away from Spain, both clubs are set to resume LaLiga action shortly.
Barcelona has an impeccably timed home match against Osasuna on Tuesday, January 16, while Madrid is poised for a brief journey to confront Getafe—a mere 25-minute drive from the Santiago Bernabéu to the Coliseum Alfonso Pérez stadium.
Fifteen minutes to go!
Here's your final reminder of the starting XIs from both managers:
Although don't hate me for getting the positions wrong. Nobody knows what's going to happen until the first whistle goes!
REAL MADRID:
GK: Lunin
DEF: Carvajal - Rüdiger - Nacho - Mendy
MID: Tchouaméni - Valverde - Kroos - Bellingham
ATT: Rodrygo - Vini Jr
***
BARCELONA:
GK: Iñaki Peña
DEF: Araujo - Kounde - Christensen - Balde
MID: De Jong - Gündogan - Sergi Roberto - Pedri
ATT: Ferran - Lewandoswki
I spy with my little eye...
From what we've seen on the pitch, it was certainly Araujo occupying the central space in Barcelona's back line, with Koude on the right.
This could just be a cunning ploy from Xavi in an attempt to confuse us and Real Madrid. The sly sausage.
And now Real Madrid are done!
Both warmups are finished and both sides have made their way down the tunnel for the final team talk ahead of kick-off!
Barcelona finish their warmups...
With just around 20 minutes to go, it's the blaugrana who leave the pitch first and head down the tunnel, at the same time as the referees.
JESUS ALVAREZ ORIHUELA / DIARIO AS
Kroos booed in Saudi
If you watched - or heard - the game between Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid, you may have noticed the less-than-welcome reception that the 14-time European champions’ Toni Kroos received from the fans.
At first, it caused some quizzical messages to be sent out from AS USA Towers, as everyone scrambled to work out why the German was receiving such a hostile reception.
Then it clicked: Toni had put out a message earlier in the season in which he criticised the heavy number of outgoings from Europe to Saudi Arabia, calling the moves ‘shameful’.
Our musings were confirmed after the game, when Kroos posted a message on Twitter, saying how fantastic the atmosphere was, the cheeky boy.
Will we see Ronald vs Vini again today?
Araujo has, genuinely, been the only defender in LaLiga - and possibly Europe (sorry Kyle Walker) who has kept Vini Jr quiet on the left wing.
Xavi has used him as a stand-in right back against Los Blancos, moving him out of his usual central position, and we've been treated to some fantastic battles over recent seasons.
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It’s El Clásico time as Real Madrid play Barcelona in the final of the Spanish Super Cup. Kick-off at 2pm ET / 11am PT.
Here's how you can watch the game on your TV or streaming device, for free.
Here are the headlines regarding the two teams:
Real Madrid:
· Kepadroppedfor Lunin
· Modric misses out; Kroos into XI
· Vini and Rodrygo ahead of Bellingham
***
Barcelona:
· Araujo may start at RB
· Pedri makes the XI
· A midfield4 for Xavi?
Bellingham has his typical pre-game walk
The Englishman always, before every game, takes a quiet step out onto the pitch in order to visualise his surroundings and imagine how things will go once the whistle goes. I'm not superstitious, but if it works for Jude then it works for me.
Just not sure about the 005 nickname...
Who's the dribbliest of them all?
Thanks again to our friends at BeSoccerPro, we can show you the dribbliest players in the Supercopa this season.
Osasuna’s Ante Budimir leads the way for the time being, but Lamine Yamal is creeping up behind with 4, the same as SamuLino, so the Barça winger has the chance to take home the invisible trophy today.
A reminder of the starting XIs:
REAL MADRID:
GK: Lunin
DEF: Carvajal - Rüdiger - Nacho - Mendy
MID: Tchouaméni - Valverde - Kroos - Bellingham
ATT: Rodrygo - Vini Jr
***
BARCELONA:
GK: Iñaki Peña
DEF: Araujo - Kounde - Christensen - Balde
MID: De Jong - Gündogan - Sergi Roberto - Pedri
ATT: Ferran - Lewandoswki
Juan Martínez Munuera, the referee, ahead of the game:
These fixtures give us a lot of coverage, once the game starts, it's back to the game.
It's the same as any other game, with two teams you know, things are easier. The only change is that I've ironed my shirt!
I have my own style, we all follow the same line. The game is more dynamic if the two teams allow it with their play.
If they want to keep playing, accept the physicality, referees can allow that.
You create the pressure for yourself, you just want to do your best. We all want to do the right thing.
No matter how the game turns out, tonight's Clásico is going to be a big deal for Real Madrid, mainly because of Carlo Ancelotti.
The 64-year-old from Reggiolo is about to hit a milestone, overseeing his 264th match as the boss of Los Blancos, surpassing the 263 games Zinedine Zidane managed.
That makes Ancelotti the second-most experienced manager in the club's history. The only one ahead of him is the legendary Miguel Muñoz, who ran the show for 605 matches over 16 seasons, including a whopping 14 consecutive ones.
Ancelotti's run with the capital club is pretty impressive. He's bagged 191 wins, giving him a win rate of 72.62%—better than any other coach who's led Real Madrid for at least 50 matches.
Here are the referees:
Señor Juan Martínez Munuera is the serious-faced man in the middle of the insanely annoying lineup that almost has the team in ascending order in terms of height, apart from the rebel on the left. I'm furious.
Xavi ahead of the game:
Our style doesn't change, we want the ball. There are more midfielders but we don't change our ideas.
The idea today is to not lose the ball, have it for as long as possible.
You'll see [if Araujo is at right-back], he can play centre-back or in a three, he's important.
I told them to enjoy themselves because a footballer's career comes and goes quickly.
It's going to be very even. We both generate a lot of chances, we can make it complicated for each other. It will be very, very even.
What happened in the last Clásico:
You’ll surely remember the last time the two sides played against each other, right?
It was at Montjuïc in the autumn sun, and Barcelona ran Madrid ragged as Gündogan put them ahead after just 5 minutes. Things looked positive for Xavi’s side, until Real Madrid came back in the second half and began to turn the screw.
While never fully being able to claim total dominance over their opponents, they scored twice, proving that we all may get older and the world can change in mysterious and unpredictable ways, but not Real Madrid.
They just always win.
It was a Bellingham brace that turned the scoreboard around and sealed the deal for Los Blancos, and back then the fans were just catching the first glimpses of what the Birmingham boy could do on the pitch. That game was Barcelona’s first defeat of the season and a painful one, conceding in the 91st minute of the game. It could be argued that from that moment onwards they’ve struggled to re-find their early season form.
Any thoughts?
I saw a clip this week of Tchouaméni saying he doesn't like Drake, so there's some music points for the Frenchman there for me. I've no idea what he's listening to pre-game, and I shall refrain from guessing and leave it to you, dear reader.
Under the spotlight: Jude Bellingham
I’ve cooked up a Jude Bellingham heatmap graphic from our lovely friends over at BeSoccerPro (check them out) and just look at the goodness.
Bellingham’s Real Madrid heatmap shows the player to be just asenergetic as we all thought him to be - how does he cover so much grass?
The Englishman came with a big reputation but at Real Madrid it’s increased by 5 million and he was even in the Ballon d’Or question at the end of last year. Something tells me he’ll be in the mix when the time comes around for that chat again in 2024.
Real Madrid recent results
· Super Cup: Real Madrid 5-3 Atlético Madrid - WIN
· Copa del Rey: Arandina 2-3 Real Madrid - WIN
· LaLiga: Real Madrid 1-0 Mallorca - WIN
· LaLiga: Deportivo Alavés 0-1 Real Madrid - WIN
· LaLiga: Real Madrid 4-1 Villarreal - WIN
Carlo Ancelotti pre-game:
Kroos is fresh, he's recovered from his problems and he's important for us.
The players find out the XI half an hour before, before we leave the hotel they know. Competition is good for the players, the goalkeeper wants to play every game.
Nobody deserves to be on the bench, so I choose the goalkeeper game by game and it's working for us. I chose Lunin after the semi-final.
Lunin will play in the Copa del Rey against Atlético Madrid.
It will be an even game, a competitive one, There is no favourite, the game will be decided on the small details. Both teams can damage each other, it will be won by the team that feels the best on the pitch.
FC BARCELONA XI REVEALED:
Well, well, well, the rumours were true... Pedristarts for FC Barcelona alongside De Jong, Sergi Roberto and Gündogan.
Iñaki Peña is in goal, behind a back four of Koundé, Araujo, Christensen and Balde.
Ferran and Lewandowski are up top in Xavi's side, which has 4 midfielders.
Here's how VAR is set to be used tonight:
Over at AS USA Towers, our colleague Jen has put together a delightful video of señor Luis Medina Cantalejo, the head of the Referees' Committee, on how VAR is set to be used differently in the Super Cup.
"VAR is a tool for football", said everyone's favourite ex-referee, señor Mateu Lahoz, "and the audio is going to be transparent, which is very important. It's a fantastic initiative for football, if there's nothing to hide, we should show it. This needs to be normalised."
Early team rumours for Barcelona...
Word on the streets of Saudi Arabia is that Pedri is set to startover João Félix. Let's see if the rumour mill is true...
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Managers Carlo Ancelotti and Xavi Hernández meet for the ninth time on Sunday in the Spanish Super Cup final, with history suggesting that goals are guaranteed.
The statistics betweenXavi and Ancelottiin terms of their head-to-head record is, genuinely, quite staggering.
The two coaches have faced each other 8 times, four times in the League, two in the Copa del Rey, and two in the Spanish Super Cup finals.
The similarities begin right away, as they’ve both won four games each. The goals also almost match up, with Real Madrid netting 14 across the various encounters and Barcelona on 11.
Barcelona to wear home shirt
Thank your preferred higher power that we've got a home vs home clash of kits today and not electric yellow against deep charcoal and cyan.
The all-white vs blaugrana battle is set to begin, and both changing rooms are currently ready for the players ahead of kick-off!
JESUS ALVAREZ ORIHUELA / DIARIO AS
Lunin starts over Kepa
The Ukrainian shot stopper has been given the nod to start the final over Kepa, Real Madrid's emergency signing that came in after Thibaut Courtois got injured.
“You seem to be very concerned about what I'm going to do with the goalkeeper and I appreciate that", Carlo said in his pre-game press conference.
"We signed Kepa after the injury to Courtois. He was the first choice and then he had an injury. The substitute at the time, Lunin, has deserved the competition, not because of Kepa's shortcomings but because Lunin has performed very well. At the moment, I feel that you can't choose a number one and a substitute. What's important is that they both understand that and I think they have grasped that.”
Xavi pre-match press conference:
The team is motivated. It's the perfect situation for a player, to impose our way of playing, the DNA that links us back to Cruyff.
We have the example from last season: we are proud of that day. That's the path we are always looking for. Dominate possession, create chances through numerical superiority and triangles.
When kick off comes, the final will be 50-50.
We come into the game really motivated because it is a Clásico and there is a trophy at stake. I have the feeling that Real Madrid are stronger when Barça are stronger. Since I have been coach, to win a trophy we have had to get past Real Madrid. It's very even; last season we won two trophies and now we will battle them for another.
Well, there's your answer to our earlier question:
Carlo has gone for Kroos over Modric in a decision that many saw coming. Luka won't be happy about that as his performance in the semi-final was solid without being revolutionary.
Kroos, now presumably back at full fitness, can once again show us the sensational form he's been in this season until now.
REAL MADRID XI FOR THE FINAL:
Ancelotti shocks as Lunin gets the nod ahead of Kepa!
In front of him, Carvajal's fit to start and is alongside Rüdiger, Nacho and Mendy.
It's Kroos over Modric, and he plays with Valverde and Tchouaméni.
Bellingham sits behind Rodrygo and Vini Jr.
What's the prize money like for the teams involved?
Undoubtedly, relocating the tournament to the Middle East comes with a substantial financial benefit for those participating, right? Indeed, Saudi Arabia is set to pay the RFEF €40 million ($43.8 million) for organising the tournament.
A detailed breakdown of the fees and prize money reveals that both Real Madrid and Barcelona are anticipated to receive €6 million ($6.57 million) each, while Atlético is set to collect €3million ($3.29 million), and Osasuna is expected to earn around €800,000 ($876,000).
JESUS ALVAREZ ORIHUELA / DIARIO AS
We all love Toni...
If you watched - or heard - the game between Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid, you may have noticed the less-than-welcome reception that the 14-time European champions’ Toni Kroos received from the fans.
At first, it caused some quizzical messages to be sent out from AS USA Towers, as everyone scrambled to work out why the German was receiving such a hostile reception. Then it clicked: Toni had put out a message earlier in the season in which he criticised the heavy number of outgoings from Europe to Saudi Arabia, calling the moves ‘shameful’.
Our musings were confirmed after the game, when Kroos posted a message on Twitter, saying how fantastic the atmosphere was, the cheeky boy.
Team news for both sides ahead of starting XIs:
REAL MADRID:
Ancelotti was quick to calm everyone down when Dani Carvajal was spotted training inside, away from his teammates, saying it was nothing to worry about.
Apart from that, Madrid still have Militão, Courtois and Alabaout of action, as well as Lucas Vázquez.
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BARCELONA:
Pedri made a surprise return for the semi-final against Osasuna. He’s expected to start the game.
However, number one goalkeeper Marc-Andre Ter Stegen is still out as he recovers from a back injury. Ahead of him, all of Marcos Alonso, Íñigo Martínez and João Cancelo are still unavailable.
Barcelona’s game against Osasuna only had alittle bit of crazy left in the bottle to sprinkle over it after the Madrid madness the night before. Xavi’s side controlled possession and territory as Osasuna sat back and tried to catch them on the break.
The ‘home’ team almost went behind on a few occasions but always managed to keep their threat up, and Lewandowski finally broke the deadlock in the second half with a fine strike. It was looking to be another 1-0 victory for the blaugrana until some sublime skill from João Félix set up Lamine Yamal late on to seal the game.
JUAN MEDINA / REUTERS
Where is the game being played?
Tonight's tie is being held at the Al-Awwal Park in Riyadh, the capital city of Saudi Arabia.
The stadium, openedin2015, holds 25,000 fans and is the home of Al-Nassr, which you may recognise as the current team of former Real Madrid forward, Cristiano Ronaldo - hence the yellow seats.
Lewandowski can push the criticism away with a strong performance
The Polish striker has constantly come under fire this season for missing the target, failing to connect with his teammates on the pitch and generally looking - dare I say it - like a striker in his mid 30s.
He's only managed 8 goals in 17 so far this season which, for a player of his pedigree and talent, is quite the drop off from previous campaigns.
The player scored the opener in Barcelona's eventual 2-0 win over Osasuna earlier in the week to set up this Clásico final we've got coming up, but nevertheless, many remain to be convinced - perhaps Xavi included, which is why he brought in Vitor Roque - that he can perform as well as he did last season for the second half of the campaign.
He's got a whopper of a test coming up against Real Madrid's best player this season: Antonio Rüdiger, but if there is any night of the year in which he can silence the critics, it's this one.
Why is the Super Cup being held in Saudi Arabia?
The Spanish Super Cup's relocation to Saudi Arabia in 2019 was a decision made by the Luis Rubiales-led Spanish Football Federation (RFEF). I'll let that fact stand.
The move to the Middle East raised numerous concerns from various corners of Spanish football. However, it must be acknowledged that the alteration in the tournament format has proven to be a positive development.
Similar to the revamped format of the Copa del Rey, which now features a final four instead of the traditional two-legged pre-season event, the change has injected a sense of competition into the trophy. This competitive element was notably absent during the pre-season days.
Even Xavi praised the Super Cup as "a spectacular tournament," although let's not go too far with that assessment just yet.
Come and get involved!
We've got a poll up and running where you can give your prediction on who you think will win the Spanish Super Cup.
If you're feeling extra-daring, feel free to give us your score predictions!
Here are the kick-off times around the world:
In case you're not quite sure about when the game kicks off, here's Real Madrid's handy guide.
However, in my opinion, the best way to do so is by sticking with this live.
Jonathan Moscrop / Getty Images
Who will start: Modric or Kroos?
I think that, ahead of kick-off, Ancelotti will have had to answer the huge question of whether to start Toni Kroos or Luka Modric in the final.
Of the three midfield positions, barring any injuries, there is only really one place up for grabs. Given their physical strengths, both Valverde and Tchouaméni are guaranteed starters when fit, especially considering one of their partners will be either Toni or Luka, who are not as young as they used to be.
Kroos has shown over recent weeks and months that he still has the magic in his boots when it comes to controlling a game, while Modric is more adept at providing that spark slightly higher up the field.
It's up to Ancelotti what he prefers from the game, and if he's going off what he saw in the semi-final against Atlético Madrid, then the German might have the slight advantage ahead of kick-off.
Do you agree?
Hold back the tears, culés...
A nostalgic snap of MLS superstar Leo Messi in a Barcelona shirt, holding the Spanish Super Cup, is certainly one way to get the culés in the feels ahead of kick-off in Saudi Arabia.
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Real Madrid’s road to the Super Cup final as about as Real Madrid-y as you could expect. Los Blancos overcame Atlético Madridin extremis and it took 5 goals to finally quieten them down.
We had tough tackles, penalty shouts, arguments, golazos and a race between Brahim and Oblak.
Carvajal was the MVP of the game, with 2 assists and a goal to his name by the time the final whistle went. He kept Lino quiet for the most part on the rojiblanco wing, and gave Madrid a different dimension going forward.
The injury scare in the hours following caused fans to cross their fingers the world over, and hopefully he’s fit to play again from the off.
In the end, Ancelotti said it was the energy that was the deciding factor, but that fear of having played 30 minutes more than their opponents is a real one.
How to watch the game:
Want to watch the game on your TV or device as well as follow along with the AS coverage?
Well, you’re in luck. Here’s how you can get the game liveon your screen and into your eyes.
Potential starting XIs:
Given the injury news, here’s how we predict the two managers will start the game today. Although Carlo Ancelotti has probably already told you his lineup.
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Team news: FC Barcelona
Pedri made a surprise recovery in the semi-final against Osasuna. He’s even expected to start the game (more on that later).
However, number one goalkeeper Marc-Andre Ter Stegen is still out as he recovers from a back injury. Ahead of him, all of Marcos Alonso, Íñigo Martínez and João Cancelo are still unavailable.
Team news: Real Madrid
Dani Carvajal gave Los Blancos fans a scare when he trained inside just 24 hours before the game, but Ancelotti was quick to calm everyone down, saying it was nothing to worry about.
Apart from that, everything’s as we’ve come to expect with Real Madrid, who still have Militão, Courtois and Alaba out of action, as well as Lucas Vázquez.
Welcome!
Hello and a warm welcome to the ASUSA live coverage of the Spanish Super Cup final - and what a game we’ve got for you!
It’s El Clásico, Real Madrid versus Barcelona, the world’s biggest game, without a doubt.
It's Joe here today to provide you with an extensive pre-match build-up, the live game step-by-step, as well as all the fallout.
Kick off is set for 2pm ET / 11am PT.