Four reasons to watch the Spanish Super Cup ????????

The Supercopa de España returns for a sixth year in its revamped format, with four LaLiga clubs all aiming to win the first trophy of the domestic season.

Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, ​​Athletic Club and Mallorca will face off at the King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, between January 8 and 12.

Here are four reasons why you can’t miss the 2024/25 Supercopa.

???? Juan Manuel Serrano Arce – 2024 Getty Images

No team embodies the purism of Spanish football better than Athletic Club.

One of only three teams to have never been relegated from LaLiga, a policy of recruiting players exclusively from the Basque region continues to stand the test of time.

Under Ernesto Valverde, they continue to make tangible progress, having ended a 40-year wait for a major trophy in last season’s Copa del Rey final.

But this long-awaited success came at a cost as they were unable to sustain a push for Champions League qualification, finishing eight points behind fourth place.

There is no shortage of quality at San Mamés, with Nico Williams still coveted after his role in Spain’s EURO 2024 success, while the Lehoiaks’ industrious style means goals are shared, with only five Oihan Sancet achievements stand out so far.

A Supercopa clash with FC Barcelona offers a new test of Athletic’s abilities, not to mention renewing a rivalry that dates back to Diego Maradona’s 1980s heyday.

Valverde will be keen to set another milestone against his former employers, having knocked them out in the quarter-finals of last year’s Copa del Rey in extra time.

With the Catalans bruised, this recent history could well repeat itself.

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Things seem to be going from bad to worse for FC Barcelona at the moment.

In the blink of an eye, Hansi Flick’s side saw a previously comfortable advantage at the top of LaLiga disintegrate, while their ongoing financial problems meant neither Dani Olmo nor Pau Victor could be registered to play during the second half of this season.

At present, Barça will travel to Saudi Arabia in the grip of difficult times both on and off the pitch after starting the 2024/25 season in great form and with great potential.

The Supercopa also carries bittersweet memories, having propelled the club’s charge to the 2023 title, before a rout against Real Madrid just 12 months later.

However, they still possess players capable of quality moments, with perennial Robert Lewandowski having already surpassed the 20-goal mark in all competitions.

Raphinha has taken over as the Blaugrana’s top performer while La Masia product Lamine Yamal sees his stock continue to rise in his meteoric rise.

If they can beat Athletic Club, it could save a season currently on the brink.

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The burden is heavy for Real Madrid who wear the crown, as they know too well.

More than a successful defense of the Supercopa is at stake for Carlo Ancelotti’s side, who used last year’s success as a platform to sweep away almost everything in their path.

The reigning Spanish and European champions have suffered somewhat this season, as evidenced by a four-goal defeat at home to FC Barcelona in the first Clásico of the season.

But while they finished 2024 behind city rivals Atlético Madrid in LaLiga and are unlikely to automatically qualify for the Champions League knockout stage, the Whites promise to find their form at the right time of the campaign.

Buoyed by their Intercontinental Cup victory and largely spared from the injury wave that reached double figures before the winter break, Madrid return to Saudi Arabia as a team finally ready to relaunch, with Kylian Mbappé belatedly finding his way to the fillets.

Vinícius Júnior remains a man on a mission since his Ballon d’Or snubbing, while Jude Bellingham is once again showing signs of the talent that underpinned his debut season.

Winning a 14th Supercopa also carries a new incentive for Madrid as it would put them on par with FC Barcelona as the most successful team in the competition.

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This season is already shaping up to be one to remember for Mallorca.

They began 2025 with Jagoba Arrasate eclipsing Héctor Cúper’s club points record halfway through any LaLiga season by 29 points.

Since returning to the Premier League in 2021/22, they have re-established themselves as stalwarts now threatening the league’s established order.

Last year’s Copa del Rey final defeat to Athletic Club marked their first defeat in the event since 2003 as they continue to make inroads towards the European places.

The Piratas also recorded some notable results along the way, including holding Real Madrid to a draw on matchday one and securing a victory at Girona.

Veteran Antonio Raúllo remains essential to one of Spain’s most stoic defenses while Cyle Larin has been a revelation in attack since working under Arrasate’s tutelage.

They are certainly capable of surprising again by frustrating Madrid once again.

???? GIUSEPPE CACACE – AFP or licensors