PREVIEW | Madrid Derby to kick off a Super Cup that is better than ever
The fifth edition of the spectacular four-team finals kicks off on Wednesday, with Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid going head-to-head.
A clash of Madrid rivals between the two most successful teams in the Spanish capital served up at the beginning of 2020 to decide the champion of the first Spanish Super Cup of the current 4 team format, which brings joy to all those lucky enough to watch.
Almost 1,500 days later, Real Madrid and Atlético meet again, but this time in the tournament opener, with both teams looking to win the first major title of the season in a competition which will capture the imagination of the football world this week thanks to the 4 heavyweight Spanish teams involved, each of which already has worldwide following and prestige.
The match, which will be followed on all five continents, can be seen live on Movistar Plus+ from 20:00 in Spanish peninsular time.
Riyadh's Al-Awwal Park stadium, a regular venue for major sporting events, will host a Spanish Super Cup match for the first time. This season will feature the pioneering initiative of making the VAR review conversations public at the end of the matches.
This is one of the many incentives to enjoy an inclusive Spanish Super Cup that has already sold out for its opening match, with live television broadcasting on the Movistar Plus+ platform and comprehensive coverage across official media.
Click here to listen to the interviews of Real Madrid and Atlético's stars in the semi-final preview.
Real Madrid and Atlético go into Wednesday's match (20:00 Spanish peninsular time) full of hope and a pretty even record in recent years. With Simeone on the red and white bench, the six knockout matches against Real Madrid have needed extra time or penalty shootouts to be decided.
Carlo Ancelotti's side, the reigning cup winners, also arrive sitting on top of the Primera Division to boost, although their opponents in Saudi Arabia are the only side who have been able to get the better of them in the league this season.
Javier Alberola Rojas will referee the match, assisted on the sidelines by Alfredo Rodríguez Moreno and Teodoro Sobrino Magán, with Fran Hernández Maeso acting as fourth official and Eduardo Prieto Iglesias as video assistant referee.
Courtois, the first-choice goalkeeper in the last two Whites' titles in Saudi Arabia, will be absent this time around, so his coach will have to choose between Kepa and Lunin in goal, while Ferland Mendy could be restored at left-back.
Atlético are less burdened by injuries, although they will be without the injured Thomas Lemar and Mozambique's Reinildo, who is away on international duty in the Africa Cup of Nations.
FC Barcelona and CA Osasuna, the other two semi-finalists, will be keeping a close eye on the match before the final, which is on Sunday and will put the finishing touches to a Super Cup which promises to be the best in history.