It’s almost time for the first trophy of the LaLiga season as the Supercopa de España semifinal will kick off on Tuesday with Barcelona hosting Athletic Bilbao in Saudi Arabia. The winner of that match will face the winner of a Madrid Derby between Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid for the final. It’s a competition that has historically been dominated by Barcelona and Real Madrid, with Barcelona lifting the title 15 times and Real Madrid winning it 13, but for the last four seasons, this competition’s winner has also gone on to win the LaLiga title.
That’s something which has alternated between Barcelona and Real Madrid that the new Madrid manager Xabi Alonso will need to take note of. His Real Madrid side enters the competition trailing Barcelona by four points in the league, but a win here could offer momentum to push on and close the gap atop the league, while Barcelona have been surging. It won’t be an easy proposition since getting past Atletico Madrid is already a tough enough task, but when pressure is always on Los Blancos losing in Saudi Arabia will only add to it.
Competition history
While this is the 54th edition of this tournament, it’s only the seventh of the current four team format. The fifth to take place in Saudi Arabia, Barcelona are looking to defend their title after defeating Real Madrid 5-2 in the final last season. Qualification for the tournament was expected to include the winners and runners up from the Copa Del Rey and La Liga, but with both of those spots being taken by Barcelona and Real Madrid, the third and fourth placed teams in La Liga were invited, bringing Atletico Madrid and Athletic Bilbao into the mix.
Schedule
Wednesday, Jan. 7
- Barcelona vs. Athletic Club, 2 p.m. ET (ESPN2 and Fubo)
Thursday, Jan. 8
- Atletico Madrid vs. Real Madrid, 2 p.m. ET (ESPN2 and Fubo)
Sunday, Jan. 11
Things to watch for
Is Barcelona’s improvement legit? There was a period where injuries were catching up to Barcelona, especially losing starting goalkeeper Joan Garcia. Since he has returned to the fold, they have kept three consecutive clean sheets, but they haven’t come against the quality of clubs that they’ll face in Saudi Arabia. It’s a chance to establish themselves against top opposition ahead of Champions League play, which returns later in the month. With an attack led by Raphinha, Lamine Yamal and Robert Lewandowski, this team will score plenty of goals but questions will always be about if they can keep them out of the net. The potential return of Joao Cancelo is something that could help with this issue, but the more that can be done immediately, the better.
Can Real Madrid rise to the occasion? Despite being unbeaten in their last four matches, it has been far from smooth sailing for Real Madrid. Falling to Liverpool and Manchester City in Champions League play after already losing the first El Clásico of the seaon to Barcelona, Xabi Alonso will be feeling the pressure in this tournament. Kylian Mbappe has been unstoppable with 29 goals in only 24 appearances in all competitions, but Los Blancos have struggled to find their identity under their new manager. To make matters worse, Mbappe won’t be available for the Madrid derby due to a knee injury which will only dent their chances of winning it all. There’s hope that he could make a potential final, but that’s a standard situation where there’s no reason to close the door even if it may be unlikely. Real Madrid’s injury list has been a long one this season, but given their depth, they’ll still be expected to leave Saudi Arabia with a trophy.
For Athletic Club and Atlético Madrid, is it a chance to spring an upset? Athletic Club have struggled in the league while trying to balance Champions League play with the domestic grind, but this is a time when that goes out the window. Winning the Supercopa de España could put some of those struggles behind them, while for Atlético Madrid, it’s a chance to prove that they still belong in the conversation with Barcelona and Real Madrid. Already 11 points behind Barcelona for the league lead, something needs to change to roll the clock back to 2018-19, the last time that Diego Simione led the club to a LaLiga title. Julian Alvarez has been off the pace that he set in his debut season with the club, and all eyes will be on the Argentine during this tournament.
