There will be a Spanish flavour to the 2014 UEFA Super Cup on Tuesday night as Real Madrid take on Sevilla in Cardiff. Each club is looking to capture the trophy for the second time – and the game will have extra significance for Gareth Bale.
Madrid are in the UEFA Super Cup for a fourth time, having qualified as UEFA Champions League winners. The Merengues overcame city rivals Club Atlético de Madrid 4-1 after extra time in the final at Lisbon’s Estádio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica, goals from Sergio Ramos (93), Bale (110), Marcelo (118) and a Cristiano Ronaldo penalty (120) overturning Diego Godín’s 36th-minute header to seal their tenth European Cup success.
Real Madrid certainly enjoyed their last season beating arch-rival, Atletico Madrid, in the Champions League final in a thriller, but lost their La Liga title though to Atletico Madrid. Madrid continues to recruit new blood and strengthen their squad this season, players such as James Rodriguez for €80m and Toni Kroos for €25m certainly expect a successful season ahead!
The European champion had not performed brilliantly in their Champions Cup in the US following the Spanish failing to score more goals then people had anticipated, pretty disappointed from their attitude, but those were friendlies game, and Real Madrid was not interested, they mainly interested in domestic cup like this game!
Madrid will be without their veteran midfielder, Xabi Alonso, the Spanish side had protested and filed an appeal against his one-match ban for racing onto the pitch during the UEFA Champions League final win against Atletico Madrid in Lisbon.
But UEFA’s appeal body quashed Madrid’s application which means the decision stands and Xabi will miss the first official game of the season.
He was found in breach of UEFA’s general principle of conduct (Article 11, UEFA disciplinary regulations).
Sevilla had a decent runs of their friendly game in Germany, players are warmed up properly and trying to outplay Madrid for this UEFA Super Cup! Sevilla also enjoyed their good season after defeated Benfica to lift the Europa League last season, they had also had a solid La Liga performances which it was very encouraging. But Sevilla had not recruited new blood, in fact, they sold off their star player Ivan Rakitic to Barcelona for €18m, in which I am concerned on their attacking option. Seville will definitely struggle against Madrid.
Both teams have already picked up UEFA trophies against fellow Spanish sides. Besides Madrid’s victory over Atlético on 24 May, they also prevailed in the first UEFA Champions League final between clubs representing the same nation, downing Valencia CF 3-0 at the Stade de France in 2000.
Sevilla, meanwhile, followed up their 2006 UEFA Super Cup triumph against Barcelona by ousting RCD Espanyol in the following year’s UEFA Cup final. After a 2-2 draw at Hampden Park, Glasgow, Sevilla edged it 3-1 on penalties.
Sevilla have won just three of their ten European matches with Liga opponents, losing four with three draws. Like Madrid they beat local rivals in Europe last term, getting past Real Betis Balompié on penalties in the UEFA Europa League round of 16 after either side had won the away leg 2-0.
The two sides have met 172 times in all competitions, with Madrid recording 90 wins to Sevilla’s 53. There have been 29 draws.
They have played one European tie before, in the 1957/58 European Champions Clubs’ Cup quarter-final. Madrid ran away with the home first leg 8-0 – still a competition record for a last-eight encounter, with Alfredo Di Stéfano scoring four – before a 2-2 draw in Seville.
They have faced off in one past cup final, in the 1962 Copa del Rey; Madrid came out on top 2-1 at the Santiago Bernabéu.
Overall, Madrid, have won eight of their 15 games against Spanish teams in Europe, drawing four and losing three. They have scored 34 goals, with 16 conceded.
Football lovers are eager to watch another thriller as Madrid seek to unleash its killer squad, James Rodriguez and Toni Kroos for the new season against an average Sevilla side that sold one of its best players Ivan Rakitic to Barcelona and have refused to buy a replacement.
Anthony. I Nlebem
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