Tonight we are live blogging the UEFA Super Cup match between Real Madrid and Sevilla. Real Madrid won the Champions League, and Sevilla the Europa League. Join us live from 7:15pm BST (2:15pm Eastern).
TEAM NEWS
Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti is ready to unleash the full might of his enviable playing resources in today’s UEFA Super Cup clash against La Liga rivals Sevilla.
World Cup stars James Rodriguez and Toni Kroos, signed from Monaco and Bayern Munich this summer, are set to feature in Ancelotti’s starting line-up at Cardiff City Stadium.
They will be paraded alongside the likes of Wales star Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo as Real target more European silverware just under a fortnight before their domestic campaign begins.
Sevilla are expected to line up with Barcelona loanee Denis Suarez, who was part of the deal which saw skipper Ivan Rakitic sold to the Catalan club for £14million this summer.
Iago Aspas and Grzegorz Krychowiak also joined Sevilla this summer – the former on loan from Liverpool, the latter bought from Reims – and both are predicted to start.
STATS
Jul 29, 2014; Dallas, TX, USA; Real Madrid forward Gareth Bale (11) during the game against AS Roma at Cotton Bowl Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
- The winner of the last 11 European Super Cups has alternated between the reigning Champions League winners and the reigning UEFA Cup/Europa League winners. With Bayern Munich winning last season, Sevilla must win the 2014 edition for this trend to continue.
- Real Madrid are the only team to lose a European Super Cup to a golden goal; they were beaten 2-1 by Galatasaray in 2000.
- The last UEFA Super Cup to feature two teams from the same country also featured Sevilla; they beat Barcelona 3-0 in the 2006 edition.
- Sevilla were also the last Spanish side to lose this game; they were beaten 3-1 by Milan in 2007. The last four Spanish sides to qualify for this competition have won.
- Real Madrid have won only one of their three previous European Super Cups. They were beaten in 1998 and 2000 before beating Feyenoord 3-1 in 2002. Iker Casillas started the 2000 and 2002 games.
- The last 13 La Liga meetings between Real Madrid and Sevilla have seen 64 goals scored; an average of just under five per game.
- The Whites have won nine of their last 11 meetings with the Andalusian side in all competitions, but have lost the last two away from the Bernabeu (both away league games).
- The one previous clash in a major European competition came in the 1958 European Cup quarter-final. Los Merengues won 8-0 at home before drawing 2-2 away to progress.
- Welshman Gareth Bale scored two goals and assisted two more in two league appearances against Sevilla last season.
- Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 16 goals in nine La Liga games against Sevilla; he has scored more goals against them than any other side in the competition.
- James Rodriguez could make his first competitive appearance for Real Madrid in this game. He scored six goals in five World Cup 2014 appearances, collecting the Golden Boot in the process.
- Keylor Navas made more saves than any other La Liga goalkeeper last season (160) and had the best save percentage of any regular keeper (80.1%).