Barcelona’s players attend a training session at the Prince Faisal bin Fahd stadium in the Saudi city of Riyadh on January 11, 2022, ahead of their Spanish Super Cup semi-final football match against Real Madrid. (Photo by Fayez Nureldine / AFP) (Photo by FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty Images)
A win over Real Madrid would be a significant boost for Barcelona
Barcelona put a pause to LaLiga action in order to take part in the Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia. The new format now sees four teams take part in the competition that used to feature the league winners facing off against the winners of the Copa del Rey.
For the Catalan side, it gives them an opportunity to chase silverware and at the same time get one over on their arch-rivals, Real Madrid.
Under Pep Guardiola, Barcelona beating Real Madrid became the norm. The balance shifted years after Guardiola parted but, for the most part, his successors fared rather well. All that changed under Ronald Koeman.
In his season-and-a-half tenure, he failed to beat Real Madrid under Zinedine Zidane and lost the Clasico this season, at home, against Carlo Ancelotti.
Barcelona are carrying a four game losing streak heading into Wednesday’s semifinal. A win over their bitter rivals would be a sign things are improving and Xavi knows as much.
“This game is a huge opportunity to reach a final and it could be a turning point for us,” Xavi said in a news conference on Tuesday.
“Madrid are the most in-form side in Spain, the league table shows that, but this is another competition. The Clasico is always unpredictable.
“Reaching the final would represent a point of inflexion. But whatever happens, we will be realistic. It’s an important game and a huge test, one which will show us where we are after [two months in charge].”
Source: ESPN
The old saying of “throw the record book out the window” doesn’t really apply because form matters. Barcelona are coming off drawing 1-1 against Granada in which they were leading heading into the final minutes.
Real Madrid, on the other hand, beat Valencia 4-1 at home. Madrid are the favorites despite Ancelotti trying to play it down.
“I’d be worried if the players though we are favorites, but they don’t,” said Ancelotti.
“They think we have to give it everything to win.
“These games are always even, no matter the distance in LaLiga. Just like the game in LaLiga was.”
Source: Marca
This will be the third Spanish Super Cup under the new format with four teams taking part. Barcelona have yet to win it as they lost in the semifinals of 2019 against Atletico Madrid and in 2020 in the final against Athletic Bilbao.
Winning the cup isn’t written in stone even if they manage to get past Real Madrid. Atletico Madrid and Athletic Bilbao is the other semifinal and both teams have already beaten Barcelona in the past.
What a win would do for Xavi Hernandez and his team is instill some confidence that is still lacking despite the change in manager. It was evident against Osasuna where they drew 2-2 and in the aforementioned match against Granada.
Mentally, the side still looks fragile where any shred of adversity, the team crumbles and make mistakes which in turn lead to goals.
Again, making it to the final will be a nice feather in their cap. But pride also has a part to play in it. The last thing Barcelona, from the coaching staff to the players, want is to lose yet another game against their most hated rival.
