Purists might argue that Real Madrid got what they deserved after naming their first ever all-foreign starting line-up in a 2-1 defeat against Villarreal, a result which saw them lose ground in the La Liga title race. By their own high standards, patchy league form (W2, D1, L2) either side of the World Cup sees them heading to Saudi Arabia for the Supercopa (SC) in less-than-ideal shape.
Attempting to successfully defend the title they won last year to move one behind rivals Barcelona in the all-time winners list (13), Los Blancos have only lost one of their last seven SC matches (W6), which came against Athletic Bilbao in the 2020/21 semi-final. A match-up with Valencia, against whom they’ve won five of the last six H2Hs (L1) could therefore be the catalyst for a return to winning ways.
Valencia could be forgiven for their minds being elsewhere during their recent 1-0 league defeat to Cádiz after one of their fans sadly passed away in the stadium during the game. Like Real Madrid, they’ve recently suffered a 2-1 defeat at Villarreal, and are now seeking a first win against top-flight opponents since the World Cup (L2) as they seek to emulate their 1999 SC victory over Barcelona.
In order to set up a repeat of that year’s final, or a rematch of last season’s Copa del Rey final against Real Betis, Valencia must beat Real Madrid for the first time since November 2020 (L3). As all three of those defeats saw them fail to score before the 65th minute, Los Che could perhaps take inspiration from how their rivals Villarreal profited after putting Madrid under early pressure.
Players to watch: Madrid’s Karim Benzema netted from the penalty spot against Villarreal and scored in each of their last three SC games, including last season’s final against Athletic. Similarly, Valencia’s Edinson Cavani was on target against Villarreal and also scored in his last appearance against Madrid whilst playing for Paris Saint-Germain.
Hot stat: The last four H2Hs produced an average of five yellow cards per game.
