Karim Benzema and Robert Lewandowski will find a familiar playground in the Saudi desert to win the first trophy up for grabs this season in Spain.
Who will lift the first trophy of the season? The Spanish Super Cup, being held for the third time in Saudi Arabia, pits defending champions Real Madrid against Valencia and resurgent FC Barcelona against Betis Sevilla before a thrilling final on Sunday.
A month after the end of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the stars of the Spanish Championship return to the Arabian Peninsula to Riyadh.
After a mandatory detour to Andalusia in January 2021 due to the pandemic, the contract with Saudi Arabia will be extended for another seven years in June 2021.
The formula remains the same: four clubs have qualified, the clubs ranked in the first two places of the last Liga (Real Madrid, the champion of Spain, and FC Barcelona, his runner-up), as well as the two finalists of the last King’s Cup (Betis Sevilla, winner, and Valencia CF).
The first semi-final on Wednesday was to oppose a duel on the bench between Italians. Carlo Ancelotti, who began his successful return to Real Madrid with a first victory in the Spanish Super Cup in January 2022, will face for the first time his former protégé Gennaro Gattuso, who he had carried to two Champions Leagues with AC Milan in 2003. and 2007.
In the event of a new coronation, “The White House” will join FC Barcelona and its 13 Spanish Supercups at the top of the list. But the Catalans, who stole the top spot in La Liga from the Merengues, intend to regain the taste of victory on Thursday. Barça have not won a title since the King’s Cup 2021, winning 4-0 against Athletic Bilbao in April 2021, almost two years ago. An eternity for the Blaugrana institution.
