The UEFA Super Cup proves to be more interesting in 2018 as European champions Real Madrid take on city rivals Atlético Madrid tomorrow, Wednesday in Tallinn in the first local-rival meeting in the competition’s history.
Match Preview
• Real Madrid became the first club to claim three successive UEFA Champions League titles in 2017/18, and the first team to twice win the European Cup three years in a row. They are now attempting to add to that with another slice of history, by becoming the first side to win three successive UEFA Super Cups. A victory in the Estonian capital would also equal the competition record of five titles held jointly by AC Milan and Barcelona.
• Atlético, however, have never lost in this competition having won on both their previous appearances, in 2010 and 2012.
• Whoever wins in Tallinn, this will be a fifth successive UEFA Super Cup for Spain, who have won eight of the last nine matches. A Spanish side has not lost to non-Liga opponents since Sevilla’s defeat by Milan in 2007.
• This will be Spain’s 15th UEFA Super Cup triumph; Italy have nine with England on seven.
• This is the seventh UEFA Super Cup between two clubs from the same country, and the fifth all-Spanish affair; indeed, it is the fourth meeting between two Liga teams in five years.
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Real Madrid and Atlético Super Cup flashback {UEFA Super Cup pedigree}
Real Madrid
• This is Real Madrid’s seventh appearance in the UEFA Super Cup (W4 L2); having lost their first two finals, they have won the last four.
• In 2017, Real Madrid became the first team to win successive UEFA Super Cups since Milan in 1989 and 1990. This year, they can become the first to win three in a row.
• Real Madrid have won four UEFA Super Cups; only Milan and Barcelona, with five apiece, have won more.
Atlético
• This is Atlético’s third UEFA Super Cup appearance, all in the past nine years.
• Atlético have won their two previous fixtures in this competition, both in Monaco:
2010: Internazionale 0-2 Atlético (Reyes 62, Agüero 83)
2012: Chelsea 1-4 Atlético (Cahill 75; Falcao 6 19 45, Miranda 60)
• Atlético can become the first club to make it three victories from three in this competition; they are currently level with Anderlecht, Juventus and Valencia on two wins from two.
Previous meetings
• This will be the teams’ tenth international fixture, the previous nine all coming in the European Cup – including the UEFA Champions League finals of 2014 and 2016, both won by Real Madrid. Indeed, the Merengues have won all five of the clubs’ European ties to date.
• The sides’ most recent European fixtures came in the 2016/17 UEFA Champions League semi-finals, when Real Madrid won 4-2 on aggregate.
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Match background
Real Madrid
• Real Madrid qualified for the UEFA Super Cup for the third year in a row by making it three successive UEFA Champions League titles in 2017/18, beating Liverpool 3-1 in the Kyiv final with Karim Benzema scoring once and Gareth Bale twice.
• The Merengues’ European record last season was W10 D2 L2 F35 A17.
• Real Madrid have scored in their last 30 UEFA matches.
• Real Madrid’s record in 22 European matches against Spanish clubs is W12 D6 L4 F45 A21. That 2017 second-leg defeat by Atlético ended an eight-match, six-year unbeaten run against Liga opponents in European competition.
Atlético Madrid
• Atlético lifted the UEFA Europa League for the third time in 2017/18, beating Marseille 3-0 in the Lyon final with Griezmann’s two goals added to by a late third from captain Gabi.
• Diego Simeone’s side had moved into the UEFA Europa League after finishing third in their UEFA Champions League section – the first time since 2013/14 they had not reached the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals or better. All four of those campaigns ended in defeat by Real Madrid.
• Atlético’s European record in 2017/18 was W8 D5 L2 F25 A8.
• Griezmann has scored five of Atlético’s last eight European goals
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Latest news
Real Madrid
• Summer transfers
In: VinÃcius Júnior (Flamengo), Andriy Lunin (Zorya Luhansk), Ãlvaro Odriozola (Real Sociedad), Thibaut Courtois (Chelsea)
Out: Omar Mascarell (Schalke), Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus), Achraf Hakimi (Dortmund, loan), Mateo KovaÄić (Chelsea, loan)
• Six current Real Madrid players are in contention for the 2017/18 UEFA Champions League positional awards, the three-man shortlist for each position having been announced on 9 August. Keylor Navas (goalkeepers), Marcelo, Sergio Ramos, Raphaël Varane (all defenders), Toni Kroos and Luka Modrić (both midfielders) are all in contention, as is former Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo in the forwards category. Ramos, Modrić and Ronaldo all won their respective categories in 2017; this year’s winners will be named – along with the UEFA Men’s Player of the Year and UEFA Women’s Player of the Year – during the UEFA Champions League group stage draw in Monaco on Thursday 30 August.
Atlético Madrid
• Summer transfers
In: Nehuén Pérez (Argentinos Juniors), Rodri (Villarreal), Antonio Adán (Betis), Jonny Castro (Celta Vigo), Thomas Lemar (Monaco), Santiago Arias (PSV), Nikola Kalinić (Milan)
Out: Fernando Torres (released), Gabi (al-Sadd), Axel Werner (Huesca, loan), Emiliano Velázquez (Rayo Vallecano), Jonny Castro (Wolves, loan), Šime Vrsaljko (Internazionale Milano, loan), André Moreira (Aston Villa, loan), Luciano Vietto (Fulham, loan)
• Atlético pair Diego GodÃn and Antoine Griezmann are both on the three-man shortlist for the 2017/18 UEFA Europa League player of the season, the winner for which will be announced during the UEFA Europa League group stage draw in Monaco on 31 August. Jan Oblak (fourth) and Koke (equal sixth) were also in the top ten.
www.sojworld.com (c) August 14, 2018
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