Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid will contest a unique overseas derby on Sunday in the 2020 Spanish Super Cup final in Saudi Arabia.
The La Liga giants will battle it out in Jeddah after defeating Valencia and Barcelona, respectively, in the semi-finals.
Los Blancos convincingly overcame the Copa del Rey holders 3-1 in the last four, and Los Colchoneros scored two dramatic late strikes to defeat the Spanish champions 3-2.
Date: Sunday, Jan. 12
A Madrid derby outside of Spain’s capital is a rare event, but the tension and focus will still be there when the old adversaries clash on Sunday.
The four-team format has added a fresh angle to the Spanish Super Cup.
However, the decision to host it away from Spain has been met with disapproval.
According to Ben Nagle of MailOnline, Saudi Arabia spent £102 million to bring the Supercopa to the country in a three-year deal, and the move has drawn criticism from supporters, the Spanish media and La Liga President Javier Tebas.
The game itself is expected to be competitive, with Real and Atleti always desperate to grab the bragging rights against one another.
After a relatively shaky start, Zinedine Zidane’s team have hit an impressive level of consistency, going 15 games unbeaten in all competitions.
They were too good for Los Che at the King Abdullah Sports City, with Toni Kroos’ outrageous goal direct from a corner the highlight of the first semi-final.
Real have only suffered one defeat in 19 league games this term, and their joint-best defensive record of 12 goals against proves they have rediscovered their ability to shut out opponents.
The form book usually goes out of the window in derbies, and Atleti will pay little attention to Real’s recent endeavours.
Diego Simeone’s team were pulverised by Barca in the second semi-final, maintaining little possession, but Atleti’s famous counter-punching saw them score twice in the last 10 minutes.
Alvaro Morata and Angel Correa were the instigators of success against the La Liga holders, and the forwards will be relied upon to repeat their goalscoring exploits against Real.
Atleti have won the Supercopa twice in their history. Real will be attempting to claim the trophy for an 11th time on Sunday.
If Real’s midfielders dominate in the manner they did in the last four, with Kroos, Luka Modric and Isco pulling the strings, it will be difficult for Atleti to resist their neighbours’ undeniable quality.-AP
