Perhaps the biggest rivalry in world sports — almost certainly the highest profile — takes the stage on Sunday, and there’s silverware on the line as the Spanish Super Cup again is a Clasico between Barcelona and Real Madrid.
Saudi Arabia is the scene for this tilt, a rematch of the 2023 final that saw Barcelona beat Real Madrid 3-1 for its first Supercopa de Espana since the format went to four teams in 2019-20 competition.
Real Madrid can pull within Barca’s record haul of 14 Supercopas by winning Sunday in Jeddah. No other team has won more than three crowns.
Real already had to endure a Madrid derby in the semifinal, outlasting Atletico Madrid 5-3, while Barcelona blanked Osasuna. Yet that was a day later, leaving Madrid perhaps a bit more fresh for the final.
Real won the first Clasico of the season with a 2-1 win away at the Camp Nou on Oct. 28.
El Clasico: How to watch Real Madrid vs Barcelona live in Spanish Super Cup
Kick off: Sunday, 2pm ET (January 14)
TV Channel: ABC
Online: Stream via ESPN+, Fubo
Focus on Real Madrid
Real Madrid’s story of the season has been new signing Jude Bellingham, who continues to show us why Birmingham City was ready to make him a statue subject when he was still a teenager.
Real has the best points-per-game haul in La Liga but is a point behind Girona, the surprising Catalan power. Carlo Ancelotti’s back line has only allowed 11 goals in league play and boasts La Liga’s best goal differential at plus-29.
Focus on Barcelona
Barca’s imperious defense of last season has dipped, and the Osasuna win was the first clean sheet since a Dec. 3 blanking of Atletico Madrid. Long-term injuries to Gavi, Marcos Alonso, and Marc-Andre ter Stegen have affected the team in a big way, while Raphinha and Joao Cancelo are also out for this one.
They’re still the top possession side in La Liga by a mile, and midfielders Frenkie de Jong and Ilkay Gundogan will hold the key to this match.
Barca is seven points behind Real while also holding a match-in-hand on Girona.