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Tag: Spanish Super Cup

  • La Liga Giants to Battle For Spanish Super Cup In Saudi Arabia

    La Liga Giants to Battle For Spanish Super Cup In Saudi Arabia

    Laliga giants Real Madrid, Barcelona as well as Athletic Bilbao and Real Sociedad will take part in the Spanish Super Cup to be held in Saudi Arabia in January 2021.

    This is according to Spanish publication Diario AS.

    Madrid and Barcelona will feature in the four-team tournament as Laliga champions and runners-up respectively.

    READ ALSO: Frank Lampard praises Edouard Mendy ahead of goalkeeper’s Rennes reunion

    While Bilbao and Sociedad will be in action as finalists of last season’s Copa del Rey.

    The semifinals will be played in Jeddah on January 13 and 14 while the final will then be played on the 16th.

    Last season was the first edition of the revised Super Cup played in Saudi Arabia and it saw Real Madrid win the trophy. 

    Barcelona were beaten by Atletico Madrid in the semifinal 3-2, a result which ended up costing Ernesto Valverde his job. 

    Madrid beat Valencia in the other semifinal and then went on to beat city rivals Atletico in the final. 

    Despite the coronavirus pandemic, the RFEF remain keen on playing the Super Cup in Saudi Arabia this January and as such are pushing ahead with arrangements. 

  • Oshoala’s brace helps Barcelona win maiden Spanish Super Cup

    Oshoala’s brace helps Barcelona win maiden Spanish Super Cup

    Asisat Oshoala scored twice to help Barcelona claim her maiden Spanish Super Cup trophy after thrashing Real Sociedad 10-1 on Sunday.
    It’s the first title for the team this season and the 25-year old’s 35th and 51st goals added spice to the team’s victory.
    It’s the African Footballer of the Year’s first major title since her debut at the club in 2019, scoring 19 goals in 22 matches in all competitions this season. (NAN)

  • Atletico Madrid stun FC Barcelona to reach Super Cup final

    Atletico Madrid stun FC Barcelona to reach Super Cup final

    Atletico Madrid pulled off a stunning turnaround to beat FC Barcelona 3-2 in an enthralling Spanish Super Cup tie in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Thursday.

    They thus booked their place in the final of the revamped competition where they will face Real Madrid on Sunday.

    Argentine forward Angel Correa struck the decisive goal in the 86th minute to complete an unlikely late comeback for Atletico Madrid.

    That was after Barca had dominated the second half and had two goals ruled out following VAR reviews.

    Substitute Koke had put Atletico Madrid in front at the start of the second half, but Lionel Messi levelled in the 51st minute.

    Messi soon put the ball in the net again but his second effort was ruled out for handball following a VAR review.

    Former Atletico Madrid striker Antoine Griezmann did put Barca in front in the 65th while Gerard Pique thought he had extended their lead moments later.

    However, that goal was also ruled out after a VAR review, this time for a fractional offside against Arturo Vidal.

    Atletico Madrid had spent most of the second half trying to stop waves of Barca attacks but got a lifeline when substitute Vitolo was tripped by goalkeeper Neto.

    Striker Alvaro Morata then equalised from the penalty kick spot in the 81st minute.

    Stand-in goalkeeper Neto was also at fault for the winning goal, failing to properly block Correa’s shot which bounced into the net to cap an incredible match.(Reuters/NAN)

  • Super Cup in Saudi Arabia part of football’s desire to make money, Barca’s coach says

    Super Cup in Saudi Arabia part of football’s desire to make money, Barca’s coach says

    FC Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde has concerns with the new format of the Spanish Super Cup.

    He said playing the competition in Saudi Arabia was a consequence of the football industry’s desire to find more revenue streams.

    The Super Cup traditionally kickstarted the season in Spain with a two-legged contest between the Copa del Rey winners and La Liga champions.

    But the 2018 edition was played as a one-off game in Tangier, Morocco.

    Last year the Spanish football federation (RFEF) agreed to double the number of teams and take the competition outside Spain permanently as well as moving it from August to January.

    The federation has signed a three-year deal to play the competition in Saudi Arabia, which Spanish media say is worth 40 million euros (44 million dollars) annually.

    “I know there have been rumblings but football these days is an industry,” Valverde told a news conference ahead of Barca’s semi-final match against Atletico Madrid in Jeddah on Thursday.

    “The reason why we are here and why we were in Morocco is because the authorities are looking for more sources of income.”

    The move has been criticised by supporters’ groups for excluding the teams’ traditional fanbase and from campaign groups such as Amnesty International.

    This was due to the conservative Muslim kingdom’s record on human rights.

    Valverde also questioned the merits of opening the competition up to Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid, who ended last season empty-handed.

    Barca and Valencia qualify for the Super Cup as league and Cup winners respectively, while Atletico Madrid earned one of the new berths due to coming second in La Liga.

    The last spot was intended for the Cup runners-up.

    But, as Barca had already qualified, Real Madrid took the vacant place due to their superior Cup record over Real Betis, last year’s other losing semi-finalists.

    “For me it’s strange to play the Super Cup with two guest teams. It’s clear that these games are exciting for the crowd but from a sporting point of view there is only one league champion and there is only one Cup winner,” added the coach.

    “It was always the first trophy of the season between the league and Cup winners. I thought that format was fine, but it has been changed. When the competition is over we’ll be able to say whether it has gone well or not.”(Reuters/NAN)