Real Madrid vs Barcelona: 3 key battles to look out for | Super Cup Final
Real Madrid will go head-to-head with Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final on Sunday (January 15) at the King Fahd International Stadium in Saudi Arabia.
Los Blancos have been impressive and their 4-3 penalty shootout victory in the semi-finals over Valencia on the 11th of January is a good boost for them going into the final.
Barcelona have arguably been one of the most remarkable teams in Europe this season and their 4-2 penalty shootout victory in the semi-finals against Real Betis is a decent morale boost going into this highly-rated final.
On that note, this article will look at three key individual battles that could determine the outcome of this encounter.
Without further ado, let's look at them.
#3 Ousmane Dembele vs Ferland Mendy
The Frenchman has been creative in attack and his contributions have been pivotal for Xavi Hernandez in recent months.
Dembele has registered 14 goal contributions in 23 appearances in the ongoing 2022-23 campaign. Similarly, he has registered the most assists for Barcelona this season (7)
Dembele
Raphinha
Ansu
Alba
Gavi
Busquets
Most assists for Barca this season:
7️⃣ Dembele
5️⃣ Raphinha
4️⃣ Ansu
4️⃣ Lewandowski
3️⃣ Alba
3️⃣ Balde
3️⃣ Kounde
2️⃣ Gavi
2️⃣ Roberto
1️⃣ Busquets
1️⃣ Christensen
1️⃣ Ferran
1️⃣ Frenkie
1️⃣ Garcia
1️⃣ Torre https://t.co/cAtGLkKSiO
Monitoring his movement on the flank is difficult as his ability to outrun his opponent is impressive and Mendy will have to be defensively alert if he intends to keep Dembele under his radar. However, Mendy is also very fast and his defensive intuition is remarkable. It will be interesting to see if he can silence Dembele in this encounter.
#2 Karim Benzema vs Ronald Araujo
The Frenchman is arguably the most phenomenal striker in La Liga and his presence in attack has been significant despite struggling with injuries in recent months.
Benzema has registered 10 goal contributions in 14 appearances so far. One unique thing about Benzema is his ability to properly link up with other attackers in his team. Monitoring his movements in the penalty box is a difficult task as he's also highly efficient in the air.
Araujo will definitely have his work cut out playing against Benzema. However, Araujo's ball-winning ability as well as his defensive positioning is immense. It will be interesting to see if he can stop Benzema from finding the back of the net in this highly anticipated encounter.
#1 Robert Lewandowski vs Antonio Rudiger
The Polish international is arguably one of the most in-form strikers in the 2022-23 campaign so far and his attacking intuition is outstanding.
Lewandowski has registered 22 goal contributions in 20 appearances. Similarly, the 34-year-old is both La Liga and Barcelona's top scorer.
Barcelona are undefeated this season when Lewandowski scores 😳 https://t.co/6POJ1Cf3f4
Lewandowski's ability to place the ball in the back of the net is second to none as it's difficult to win the ball from him in the opposition’s box. Monitoring his movements in attack is a difficult task and Rudiger will have his work cut out. However, Rudiger is sensible and robust in defense. It will be fascinating to see if the Real Madrid defender can keep Lewandowski under his belt in this encounter.