Barcelona seeks to compensate for its troubled season both locally and in Europe when it faces its historical rival Real Madrid in the semi-finals of the Spanish Super Cup at the King Fahd International Stadium in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, today, Wednesday. The Catalan team enters the match aware of Real Madrid's clear superiority over them this season, as they sit sixth in the La Liga standings, 17 points behind their top-placed rival, with one match less for the "Blaugrana."
Moreover, Coach Xavi Hernandez's team has exited the UEFA Champions League in the group stage for the first time in nearly twenty years, thus focusing on avoiding a blank exit from another competition.
"Turning Point"
Hernandez stated during the press conference in Riyadh on the eve of the match that winning against their rival "could be a turning point," adding that "victory in the Clasico would take us to the final and lend credibility to our project. We’ll set aside the league to focus on a major competition. There’s a potential trophy at stake."
The last encounter between the two sides, and the first since the departure of Argentine star Lionel Messi to Paris Saint-Germain, ended with a 2-1 victory for the royal club at Camp Nou last October. Since 2010, the two teams have faced each other 40 times, with Barcelona winning 16 times compared to 14 for Real, along with ten draws. Barcelona has won the Super Cup title 13 times (a record), the last being in 2018, while Real Madrid has 11 titles.
Real Madrid is considered the favorite to win today’s match in the competition, which is being held in Saudi Arabia for the second time after the 2019 edition, where Real triumphed over their neighbor Atletico on penalties 4-1. Saudi Arabia will continue to host the tournament until 2029.
Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti of Real Madrid stated, "Anything can happen. We realize they have more problems than us, but it’s a one-match scenario with two teams having one goal, which is to reach the final." Real is on a steady path toward securing the domestic league title, led by the "brilliant" attacking duo of Frenchman Karim Benzema and young Brazilian Vinicius Junior, who together have scored two fewer goals than the entire Barcelona squad.
Despite Real's significant lead over their traditional rival, the gap does not necessarily imply that the Merengue side has improved compared to the past, but rather reflects Barcelona's notable decline recently. The Catalan giant is burdened with debts of around one billion euros, which have led to a sharp drop in the team's performance after the departure of some stars over the past two years, notably Messi and Uruguayan Luis Suarez.
New Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez hopes that his team can capitalize on some recent improvements in performance, aiming to stop Real's winning streak in Clasico encounters, which has reached four in a row. Barcelona has not lost in their last six matches and has climbed to sixth place, with a potential rise to fourth in the last round but for a dramatic late equalizer against Granada.
"The Favorites"
Barcelona is bolstered by the anticipated first appearance of striker Ferran Torres, who transferred from Manchester City during the winter transfer window and is now eligible to participate after Frenchman Samuel Umtiti's contract renewal, giving them financial space to register Torres. Torres has also recovered from his illness with the coronavirus, along with the return of Pedri and Ansu Fati, who had been absent since November.
A Barcelona victory in this match would come as quite a surprise, as Ancelotti did not hide his team’s advantages in the encounter, stating, "Theoretically, we are the favorites. But there is a difference between theory and what may happen on the ground." Conversely, Barcelona’s veteran defender Gerard Piqué believes that his team is "very motivated to lift this cup. This is the semi-final, a Clasico, and it will be challenging. But we are improving, and I am optimistic about our ability to compete and reach the final."
Real enters the match following a strong performance last weekend, where they achieved a significant 4-1 victory over Valencia, thanks to two goals each from Benzema and Vinicius.
It is worth noting that the winner of this match will face the winner of the match between defending champions Athletic Bilbao and Atletico Madrid, who will clash tomorrow, Thursday.
