Who: Barcelona vs Real Madrid
What: Spanish Super Cup final
Where: King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
When: Sunday, January 11, at 8pm (19:00 GMT)
How to follow: We will have all the buildup on Al Jazeera Sport from 15:00 GMT, in advance of our text commentary stream.
One of sport’s greatest matchups will grace the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah on Sunday as Barcelona face fierce rivals Real Madrid in the final of the Spanish Super Cup.
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Barca, the defending champions who beat Real in last year’s final, are the team to stop once more in Spain’s top flight, La Liga.
Real, on the other hand, are under increasing pressure, especially their new manager, Xabi Alonso.
Al Jazeera Sport takes a look at a final that carries so much more weight when it holds the tag: El Clasico.
Why are Real Madrid and Xabi Alonso under pressure?
Alonso has steadied Real Madrid’s ship in recent weeks after a tumultuous period, but the Spanish Super Cup final seems a make-or-break moment for the beleaguered coach.
On the brink of the sack after a dire run of form, Alonso responded by leading Madrid to five consecutive victories, the fifth coming on Thursday against Atletico Madrid in the semifinals.
Beating Super Cup holders Barcelona would bring Alonso the first trophy at the helm.
A second victory in two matches against Barcelona would buy Alonso time and breathing room.
But succumbing to Hansi Flick’s side would give Real president Florentino Perez a further excuse to remove a coach he hired in June but has never appeared convinced by.
Spanish media reported that Perez was set to sack Alonso if the team lost against Manchester City in the Champions League on December 10, which they did, but the team’s improved performance bought the coach another chance.
What happened in last year’s Super Cup final between Real and Barca?
Barcelona trounced Real Madrid 5-2 in last year’s final, which was also in Jeddah.
It was a damaging blow for then-manager Carlo Ancelotti, while proving a springboard for Hansi Flick – fresh in his role as Barca boss.
How important is Spanish Super Cup to Real Madrid and Barcelona?
Lifting the Super Cup worked for Flick’s fledgling tenure at Barcelona last season, galvanising his team to claim La Liga and the Copa del Rey.
In the three seasons prior to that, the Super Cup winners also went on to win the Spanish top flight.
“Two things are clear – as it’s the tournament we’re playing for 1768087396, it’s the most important,” said Alonso.
“If you ask me about it in terms of order of priority in the season, it’s the fourth.”
What’s the latest on Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe?
Real are boosted by the return of Mbappe to the squad after he missed the 2-1 win over Atletico and Sunday’s 5-1 thrashing of Real Betis in La Liga while recovering from a knee sprain.
The coach said Mbappe has as much chance of starting against Barcelona as anyone else and is confident the forward has recovered, even though he was expected to miss another week.
With 29 goals in 24 appearances across all competitions, Mbappe is Real Madrid’s top goal scorer this season and their clear, stand-out performer.
The striker has netted six goals against Barcelona in five games since joining Real Madrid.
His return could make life trickier for Alonso because the team does not seem to function at its best when Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham line up together.
How are Real Madrid’s Brazil forwards, Vinicius and Rodrygo, faring?
One player who has become essential for Alonso in recent weeks is Brazilian winger Rodrygo.
After a miserable run of 32 games without scoring, the right-winger has burst into life with three goals and three assists in his last five matches.
On the opposite flank, Vinicius is struggling for form.
Since finishing second in the 2024 Ballon d’Or rankings, he has dipped far from his top level.
Vinicius has not scored in his last 16 outings for Real Madrid, and Alonso must decide whether to line up with him against Barca.
What happened the last time Barcelona played Real Madrid?
The Catalans beat Madrid four times in four encounters last season, but Alonso’s side beat their rivals 2-1 in October in La Liga.
“We have to win; we lost two finals against them last year,” urged Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
“They have to win, too. After losing the Clasico in La Liga, they’ll want revenge.”
Barcelona ready for Mbappe return for Real Madrid
Barcelona coach Hansi Flick said Mbappe is the man of the moment, but backed his team to succeed despite his arrival in Saudi Arabia.
“At the moment, Mbappe is the best striker… he’s scored many, many goals, and he’s a world-class player, that’s what I can say,” admitted Flick, whose side hammered Real Betis 5-0 in their semifinal on Wednesday.
However, the German coach was eager to point out that last season, his side beat Mbappe’s Madrid on all four occasions they met.
Barca thrashed them 5-2 in last season’s Spanish Super Cup final, as well as winning both La Liga Clasicos and the Copa del Rey final.
In their one meeting with Alonso’s side this season, Madrid secured a 2-1 league win.
“How many Clasicos have we played in the last year and a half? And how many did we win? We lost one,” said Flick.
“I know he’s a fantastic player, and for him, with space behind the [defence], he’s really great…
“We will adapt something, like we always do, but it’s not especially about Mbappe, it’s about Real Madrid, it’s about how we want to play and how we expect they want to.”
What’s the Spanish Super Cup?
The Super Cup pits together the winners and runners-up of both the Spanish domestic league, La Liga, and Spain’s domestic cup competition, Copa del Rey.
Although first played in 1982, between the league and cup winners alone, it was expanded to four teams in 2020.
Barcelona are the current league champions, with Real Madrid finishing second. They were also the finalists of the Copa del Rey, resulting in Athletic Madrid and Athletic Bilbao lining up in the semifinals, following their third and fourth-place finishes in the league last season.
Where will the Spanish Super Cup final be played?
The Super Cup is being staged in Saudi Arabia for the second year running, with all three matches staged at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah.
The venue plays host to the Saudi Arabian national team, and will be part of the 2034 World Cup.
Riyadh played host to the final the year before, with Real Madrid emerging victorious with a 4-1 defeat of Barcelona.
Head-to-head
This will be the 262nd meeting between the teams, with Real Madrid winning 106, and Barcelona winning 104, of the encounters.
Barcelona team news
Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Gavi and Andreas Christensen are all absent, with the latter two troubled by knee problems and the former out with an unspecified complaint.
Yamal is expected to return to the starting eleven, having not been fit enough to start the semifinal against Atletico. The winger did, however, come off the bench to find the net.
Ronald Araujo has returned to full training, but is only expected to be named among the subs.
Real Madrid team news
Whether Mbappe makes the team sheet, even as a starter or as a sub, is the headline news, following a week of speculation about the forward’s knee injury.
Trent Alexander-Arnold, Eder Militao and Brahim Diaz remain absent, but there is a chance that Rodrygo, Antonio Rudiger and Raul Asencio could pass fitness tests after knocks sustained in the semifinal against Atletico.
Dean Huijsen returned to the bench for the Atletico match and could return to the starting eleven in place of Rudiger, should his fellow defender fail to make the grade.
Barcelona’s predicted starting lineup
J Garcia, Kounde, Cubarsi, E Garcia, Balde, Pedri, De Jong, Yamal, Raphinha, Fermin, F Torres
Real Madrid’s predicted starting lineup
Courtois, Valverde, Asencio, Huijsen, Carreras, Camavinga, Tchouameni, Bellingham; Rodrygo, Mbappe, Vinicius
Barcelona and Real Madrid form guides
Barcelona: W-W-W-W-W
Real Madrid: W-W-W-W-W
