A Barcelona in growth since the arrival of Xavi Hernánez to the technical bank and a solid Real Madrid that starts as favorites are cited in an unusual setting, the King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), which will host the semifinal of the Spanish Super Cup. A duel of eternal rivals that crosses borders and with 30,000 tickets sold.
It is the first official classic that has been played outside of Spanish territory in all of history, with two precedents in friendlies: the one in 2017 in Miami (United States), with a Barça triumph (3-2), and the one in 1982 in Barquisimeto (Venezuela). ), which the whites took (1-0).
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It will be the third decisive game that Xavi will have to face since he made his debut as Barcelona coach and the previous two came out tails, against Benfica and Bayern Munich. But he faced them as soon as he arrived, with practically no time to change the negative dynamics of the team and instill his ideas.
Now the situation is different and the excuses no longer have the same value. Two months have passed since the coach was signed, and the team has improved both in the game and in results and has recovered key players.
Real Madrid, for its part, knows that it has the role of favorite, as it is the leader of the League with a whopping 17 points ahead of Barcelona. That clear difference that the first half of the season made is wanted by Real Madrid to avoid being overconfident. And he appears in the semifinals with his gala team: the entire starter.
Square doesn’t play
In Italy, Inter Milan, current league champions, and Juventus, away from home, and who won the Italian Cup, decide the Italian Super Cup, in a duel between rival teams led by Argentine strikers, Inter player Lautaro Martínez and Juventine Paulo Dybala.
It is the last game to be played with a capacity of 50 percent, before the access permit is reduced to 5,000 spectators due to the outbreak of covid-19 infections. Inter, a five-time winner of this trophy, and Juventus, an 11-time champion, compete in the Super Cup after winning their last Serie A matches.
It will be the second time that Inter and Juventus meet in the final of the Italian Super Cup, and in the only precedent (2005) Inter won thanks to a goal from Argentine Juan Sebastián Verón.
It is the fourth time that the Super Cup has been played in January, and in the three previous editions Juventus always triumphed (1996, 2019 and 2021).
Two of the best Italian coaches will face off on the bench: Juventus’s Massimiliano Allegri won the Super Cup three times, while Inter’s Inzaghi took it twice when he was in charge of Lazio.
Colombian Juan Guillermo Cuadrado, who last year was part of Juventus that won the Super Cup, will not be able to be in the game due to a suspension.
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