The first piece of silverware of the Spanish season is up for grabs this week in Saudi Arabia, where Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atlético Madrid and Osasuna will compete for the Spanish Supercopa. Madrid take on Atlético in the first semifinal on Wednesday, with Barça then playing Osasuna on Thursday for a place in Sunday's final. All three matches will be played at the King Saud University Stadium in Riyadh.
The four-team format, first implemented in 2019-20, and the decision to move the competition to January has increased its significance. Barça manager Xavi Hernández says winning the competition last year when they beat Madrid 3-1 in the final, gave his team the belief they needed to go on and win LaLiga.
There will be similar narratives at play this week. Barça and Atlético need to prove a point given they are seven and 10 points adrift of the leaders in LaLiga, respectively. Madrid, meanwhile, are targeting a first trophy since adding Jude Bellingham to the side. Finally, unfancied Osasuna will view this as a free hit in their first-ever appearance in the Supercopa.
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Real Madrid-Atlético Madrid
Wednesday's semifinal between Real Madrid and Atlético is the first of three Madrid derbies in little more than three weeks, with the Supercopa clash in Riyadh followed by a Copa del Rey round-of-16 tie at the Metropolitano on Jan. 18 and the LaLiga match at the Bernabeu on the weekend of Feb. 4. It's a run of games that could go some way toward defining both clubs' seasons.
Last time the two sides met, on Sept. 24, Atlético ran out comfortable 3-1 winners. It was Real Madrid's worst performance -- and their only defeat -- so far this season. Atlético's three headed goals, two for Álvaro Morata and one for Antoine Griezmann, all came from crosses from the left-hand side, revealing what Real coach Carlo Ancelotti called a collective "defensive fragility" in his team.
Ancelotti's midfield diamond had left the team too narrow, its wings exposed. A tactical tweak since has seen player of the season Bellingham shift to the left to help cover that flank, while another midfielder -- often Federico Valverde or Luka Modric -- does the same job on the right-hand side. The result has been a much more solid lineup. Real have the best defence in Spain this season, conceding just 11 goals in 19 league games. That's half as many as the usually frugal Atlético (23).
Both teams are in very different places now. Real Madrid haven't lost since that defeat to Atlético, winning 16 and drawing three of their 19 games since. By contrast, Atléti have been increasingly inconsistent. They were beaten 1-0 by Barcelona on Dec. 3 -- blowing a chance to prove their title credentials -- and lost 2-0 at Athletic Club, before drawing 3-3 with Getafe before Christmas and losing 4-3 at Girona last week.
After a strong start, Atlético now find themselves fifth in LaLiga behind Madrid, Girona, Barça and Athletic. Their best hope in Riyadh lies in the form of strike duo Griezmann and Morata. They have 33 goals between them in all competitions, most recently in Morata's hat trick against Girona. The Spain captain is in the form of his life and would love to eliminate his former club.
A tight, cagey affair feels likely, perhaps reminiscent of the last time these teams met in Saudi Arabia. The 2020 Supercopa final ended 0-0, with Valverde sent off for a cynical, last-ditch tackle on Morata when through on goal in extra-time, only for Real Madrid to win the trophy on penalties. Expect Real to progress this time, but by a similarly narrow margin.
Barcelona-Osasuna
Once again, Barça find themselves heading into the Supercopa with borderline unnecessary importance placed on the competition. What used to be the season's curtain-raiser in August, a glorified friendly at times, has provided some big moments in the club's recent history since the four-team, midseason format was introduced. Defeat to Atlético in the 2020 semifinal cost manager Ernesto Valverde his job.
A loss to Athletic Club in the final the following year ramped up the pressure on new manager Ronald Koeman. There was finally success last season, though, with Xavi saying beating Madrid in the final was a "turning point" for his players. It bred confidence and helped them win the LaLiga title for the first time since 2019.
On Thursday, there is a demand for Barça to not only beat Osasuna but to deliver a statement display. Even when winning in recent weeks, the Catalan side have been criticised for their performances. Narrow wins in the Copa del Rey against fourth-tier Barbastro and in LaLiga against bottom club Almeria have almost been treated as defeats by the local media. Barça are now on a 20-game run of failing to win a match by more than a single goal -- the longest streak of its kind in their 125-year history.
They will take a strong squad to Saudi Arabia and should have enough to get over the line against Osasuna, although a final against Madrid or Atlético would pose another challenge. Full-backs Alejandro Balde and João Cancelo both missed the game at Barbastro on Sunday but may return for the Supercopa. Iñigo Martínez and Gavi will not be available, though, while Pedri is also a major doubt.
Osasuna, meanwhile, were one of the revelations of last season but have struggled to hit the same heights this year. Their run to the Copa del Rey final, where they lost to Madrid, earned them a spot in the Supercopa, while they finished seventh in LaLiga, qualifying for Europe. This season has been harder. They are 12th in the league at the halfway stage but will have the freedom of facing an under-pressure Barça side as underdogs.
Barça's quality should just about carry them into the final, although they are unlikely to end their streak of failing to win a game by more than a goal. A meeting with Madrid or Atlético could then provide another big moment for Xavi and his players: win well and anything will seem possible again this season, but lose and the knives will be out.