Spanish Super Cup El Clasico Final Preview And Line Up

Real Madrid stand in the way of FC Barcelona lifting its first silverware under head coach Xavi Hernandez.

On Sunday evening in Riyadh, La Liga’s two biggest clubs meet in a final installment of El Clasico that will see the winner take home the Spanish Super Cup.

The Catalans are the record 13-time winners of the competition which has been contested by four teams since 2019.

They are looking over their shoulders at Los Blancos, however, who have 12 victories and aim to equal their arch rivals.

Due to Carlo Ancelotti’s group’s experience of clinching trophies – such as last season’s La Liga, Champions League and Super Cup titles for starters – Xavi finds that Madrid boast a psychological advantage over his men.

“I see Madrid as very, very strong. Psychologically they have a point of advantage because they have played in more finals, they have more experience,” Xavi confessed in his pre-match press conference on Saturday.

Still Barca have some sort of bragging rights and edge in the fight. Though they lost the last Clasico 3-1 at the Bernabeu in October, they go into the meeting top of the league and with recent victories over Los Blancos such as the 4-0 drubbing at said stadium in March 2022 and a 1-0 friendly win in Las Vegas during preseason.

Expected to start for Xavi in the clash of the titans is an in-form Marc-Andre ter Stegen in goal supported by Ronald Araujo, Jules Kounde, Andreas Christensen, and Jordi Alba from right to left.

As part of a four-man midfield, Frenkie de Jong and captain Sergio Busquets could act as double pivots while Pedri and Gavi operate as false left and right wingers.

The latter tactic worked to great effect in last Sunday’s 1-0 win over Atletico Madrid, though the victory was as much down to Barca’s stingy defense as its talented center of the park.

Robert Lewandowski was unavailable for that match due to suspension but can play this evening with the goalscorer at the Metropolitano, Ousmane Dembele, to his right.

FC Barcelona First XI: Ter Stegen; Araujo, Kounde, Christensen, Alba; De Jong, Busquets, Pedri, Gavi; Dembélé, Lewandowski.