It’s January, which means it’s now time for the Spanish Supercopa to take centre-stage with four of the best teams in LaLiga doing battle for the prize, founded in 1982. This year, we’ve got the two biggest teams in Spain, Real Madrid and Barcelona, as well as Copa del Rey winners Real Betis and the cup runners-up, Valencia, in the mix.
But how does this tournament work? How do the four teams look heading into the action? What are some of the memorable moments of Supercopas past, and can this quartet deliver some fresh drama and magic of their own?
ESPN’s Sam Marsden and Alex Kirkland break it all down and get you ready for the action, which begins on Wednesday and concludes with Sunday’s final in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
– Stream on ESPN+: Spanish Supercopa, Carabao Cup, more (U.S.)
What is the Supercopa? How does the format work?
It used to be the traditional curtain-raiser to the new season, pitting the LaLiga champions against the Copa del Rey winners. But after a revamp in 2020 it is now a four-team competition that takes place in January each year. So now, instead of two teams sweating it out over two games (home and away) in August, there are four teams vying for the trophy in Saudi Arabia this January.
Qualification for the tournament is simple. The top two in LaLiga the previous season and the two Copa del Rey finalists make the last four. If the same teams finish in the top two and reach the Copa final, the numbers are made up by the teams finishing third and potentially even fourth in LaLiga. It was straightforward this year: Real Madrid and Barcelona qualified as the top two in the league, with Copa winners Real Betis and runners-up Valencia joining them.
However, the draw has not always been so simple. The semifinals have been decided in various ways, from an open draw one year to ensuring league and cup winners avoided each other the next. The idea was often to try and set up a Clasico final, but there’s now a clear framework in place: LaLiga winners (Madrid) vs. Copa runners-up (Valencia) (LIVE Wednesday, 1:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+ in the U.S.), and Copa winners (Betis) vs. LaLiga runners-up (Barca) (LIVE Thursday, 1:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+ in the U.S.). — Marsden
There are worries in defence — coach Carlo Ancelotti criticized the defending against Villarreal, saying “the team wasn’t compact” with the defence and midfield “too open.” Left-back Ferland Mendy was at fault for Villarreal’s opener, giving the ball away. Right-back Dani Carvajal hasn’t been fit and now David Alaba has a calf injury, resolving doubts over which of Alaba, Eder Militao or Antonio Rudiger start at centre-back. In midfield, the inconsistent Aurelien Tchouameni is out with another calf problem, while Eduardo Camavinga is still best deployed as an energetic impact substitute.
There are no concerns over Vinicius Junior or Rodrygo Goes in attack — Rodrygo’s late solo goal saved Madrid from extra time against Cacereno — but main man Karim Benzema hasn’t yet hit top form. His goal-scoring figures are solid, with eight goals in nine LaLiga appearances this season, but three of those have been penalties and in build-up play he’s looked a level below his fluid, effortless best. Madrid’s prospects in Saudi Arabia depend on that changing fast. — Kirkland
What about the other teams: Do Valencia or Real Betis have a chance?
Betis are in a much better place than Valencia. A 2-1 win over Rayo Vallecano on Sunday lifted them into the Champions League places in LaLiga. Manuel Pellegrini is doing a fine job in Seville. After leading Betis to a trophy by winning the Copa del Rey last season, the next step for the Chilean coach is to finish in the top four. They have a squad full of talent. Sergio Canales and Nabil Fekir are fun to watch, although they have been setback this week by the loss of Alex Moreno, with sources confirming to ESPN the left-back is close to completing a €15m move to Aston Villa.
Things are not going so well for Valencia, despite the early season promise shown under Italian coach Gennaro Gattuso. Back-to-back defeats have seen them slip out of the top 10. Friday night’s reverse at home to Cadiz was particularly painful. They remain a threat to Madrid on Wednesday, though. Veteran striker Edinson Cavani has shown signs of coming to life in recent weeks and they have a talented crop of young midfielders coming through, including United States international Yunus Musah.
What both Betis and Valencia have shown in recent years is that they can compete with Barca and Madrid. Barca needed a late Lewandowski goal to beat Valencia at Mestalla this season, while Madrid only just edged out Betis at home. You only have to turn to last season, too, to find Valencia beating Madrid 4-1 and Betis bettering Xavi’s Barca at Camp Nou. And you only have to go back to 2021 to find the last non-Clasico winner of the Supercopa, when Athletic Club beat Madrid and Barca to lift the trophy. — Marsden
