Champions begin Spanish Super Cup defence
Real Madrid and Valencia go head to head at the King Fahd Stadium in the first semi-final (8pm CET).
The Spanish Super Cup is about to get underway and defending champions, Real Madrid, will be battling it out for their second trophy of the season. For the fourth year in a row, the competition will be played with a final four format and the Whites will take on Valencia in the first semi-final this evening 8pm CET. If Ancelotti‘s men were to secure victory, they would face the winners of the Betis-Barcelona clash. All the matches will be played at the King Fahd Stadium in Riyadh.
Real Madrid are participating in the Spanish Super Cup as LaLiga champions, and they will be hoping to successfully defend the trophy they clinched one year ago in Riyadh against Athletic. Meanwhile, Valencia qualified for the tournament after reaching the Copa del Rey final last season. The madridistas’ opponents secured the trophy in 1999, when they defeated Barcelona over a two-legged final.
Real Madrid are participating in the Spanish Super Cup as LaLiga champions, and they will be hoping to successfully defend the trophy they clinched one year ago in Riyadh against Athletic. Meanwhile, Valencia qualified for the tournament after reaching the Copa del Rey final last season. The madridistas’ opponents secured the trophy in 1999, when they defeated Barcelona over a two-legged final.
“The Super Cup is a very important test for us”, said Ancelotti in the press conference ahead of the clash against Valencia. Madrid will be vying to secure a 13th Spanish Super Cup crown and the Italian coach has named this squad of players, which includes Benzema, with the aim of doing so. The Frenchman is Real Madrid’s second highest goal scorer in the club’s history, with five goals.
Previous meetings
This will be the third time these two sides have faced each other in the Spanish Super Cup. The first meeting was in 2008, when Valencia secured victory in the first game, before Real Madrid turned the tie on its head to clinch the trophy at the Santiago Bernabéu. The last encounter was in 2020 in the semi-finals of the competition when the Whites secured the win 1-3, with a direct-corner wonder goal from Kroos and strikes from Modrić and Isco.
Previous meetings
This will be the third time these two sides have faced each other in the Spanish Super Cup. The first meeting was in 2008, when Valencia secured victory in the first game, before Real Madrid turned the tie on its head to clinch the trophy at the Santiago Bernabéu. The last encounter was in 2020 in the semi-finals of the competition when the Whites secured the win 1-3, with a direct-corner wonder goal from Kroos and strikes from Modrić and Isco.