The current champion against the great favorite. Athletic Club and Real Madrid play the first official title of the year. The Super Cup will reward a team that is always good at these competitions, such as the lions, or the team that is leading in LaLiga Santander and that seems to be the most fit in Spanish football. Atlético de Madrid and Barça fell by the wayside in an exotic competition, which is played more than 4,000 kilometers away, in Riyadh, and which will reinforce whoever lifts the trophy.
Athletic arrives very excited, having already celebrated reaching the final in style. The buffalo Villalibre took his emblematic trumpet to the capital of Saudi Arabia and did not hesitate to play the notes after dismounting the mattresses. In Bilbao we are living a dream, the fourth final in just one year. Cross came out in the two Copa del Rey, but the merit that this team has is undeniable. He likes these types of games, Marcelino’s do not wrinkle, they get the best of themselves when lifting a Cup is so close.
Few doubts can have the Asturian after the good semifinal of his. At a press conference, he hinted at the ownership of Yuri on the left side to the detriment of Balenziaga. Central defender Unai Núñez, who was absent due to a muscle injury, was added to the expedition this Saturday, but Iñigo Martínez and one of the ‘semi’ scorers, Yeray, will occupy the defensive axis.
All hopes are pinned on the Williams brothers and it remains to be seen if the youngest of them, Nico, who scored the goal that put them through to the final, has a place, which is very expensive, in the starting eleven. Iñaki and Sancet are presumed to be the starters, as well as Iker Muniain, a glove from set pieces, the great offensive weapon of the rojiblancos. The only loss due to injury in the lions is that of Unai Vencedor.
Madrid, without Marco Asensio, but with Alaba
If Athletic arrives hopeful, Real Madrid does so confident. It is true that it is his idiosyncrasy and that the results support him. Also they precedents against Bilbao, whom they have defeated twice this season. Not even the scare caused by Dani Carvajal’s positive, which raised fears of more cases in the squad, has been able to convince the Whites. Ancelotti is aware that he will not find the spaces that he did have against Barça and that it will be much more difficult for him to counterattack. The Italian will not be able to count on Marco Asensio either and is awaiting the evolution of David Alaba. The Spaniard, who could no longer exercise yesterday, misses the final due to muscular problems. The Austrian did complete the session after not being able to play against Barça and everything indicates that he will start with Eder Militao to the detriment of Nacho. The absence of Dani Carvajal on the right side will be covered, as usual, by Lucas Vázquez.
The whites trust everything to their offensive power. Benzema and Vinicius Junior are on a roll. Between both they add 48 goals among all competitions -23 for the French and 15 for the Brazilian-. The Frenchman, in addition, has signed the three goals in the recent triumphs against Athletic (1-0 and 1-2). Rodrygo will complete the attack trident.
For Madrid it would be the twelfth title, which would leave one from Barça. For Athletic, the third.