HP Terbaru 2023 – Barcelona face Real Madrid in Clásico showdown for Supercopa in Saudi Arabia

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By Neel Shelat

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Small margins in Supercopa head-to-head

This is the 12th season in which Barcelona are facing Real Madrid in the Supercopa de España. The old format of the competition used to have a two-legged final, so this will be their 19th meeting in the competition.

Los Blancos have the upper hand in terms of head-to-head results in the Supercopa with 10 wins and a couple of draws, but Barcelona are the most successful side in the competition’s history with 15 titles — two more than their rivals. They have been alternating wins in recent years, so Hansi Flick’s side will have to break the trend if they are to extend their overall lead.

A crucial fixture for under-pressure Xabi Alonso

Xabi Alonso’s position as Real Madrid head coach has been particularly precarious over the last month or so, with almost weekly reports emphasising that his future depends on the outcome of the subsequent match. So, while Super Cups aren’t often seen as too big a deal by such successful sides, this is set to be a critical match for the 44-year-old head coach.

Real Madrid have won their last five matches across all competitions, but their performances haven’t been overly convincing. For instance, they needed a fairly late winner to get the better of Alavés, while third-tier CF Talavera gave them a real scare in the cup. They also only just managed to hold on to the win in the Super Cup semi-final to advance to this match.

Team news

The big news ahead of this match is that Kylian Mbappé — who has yet to make an appearance in 2026 — has travelled to Saudi Arabia and will be available for selection. That means Real Madrid’s only confirmed absences are Éder Militão and Brahim Díaz, who is spearheading Morocco’s home AFCON campaign. However, Antonio Rüdiger, Raúl Asencio and Rodrygo all experienced some discomfort in the semi-final, so their statuses are uncertain.

Barcelona’s defensive depth remains depleted owing to the unavailability of Andreas Christensen and Ronald Araújo. Marc-André ter Stegen was a part of their Super Cup squad but suffered an injury scare in training, while Gavi has a good few weeks of rehab left before he can make his return.

Team News

Lamine Yamal was benched for the semi-final, but he will surely get the opportunity to add to his tally of three goals and two assists against Real Madrid from the off, while Fermín López will be keen to add to his tally of five goal involvements in 2026. Joan García’s goal-saving contributions could well be a decisive factor in this match.

With the fitness of his fellow forwards uncertain, this is a great opportunity for Vinícius Júnior to step up and deliver, especially as uncertainty about his future grows. Aurélien Tchouaméni will need to bring his A game to support a potentially depleted defence, while Thibaut Courtois may need to produce a few big saves too.

Prediction

Barcelona took their winning-streak to nine games with a 5-0 semi-final victory, so they should be backed to come away with the trophy.

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(Cover image from IMAGO)

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