3 bold predictions for Real Madrid vs Barcelona in the Supercopa 2022 Semifinal
The greatest football fixture on the planet isn’t far away. It’s El Clasico time in the Spanish Supercup and the two teams travel to Saudi Arabia to put on a show filled with fireworks. No matter the difference between the two sides, a Clasico is never a simple game to be in. It is high on spirits and there are bragging rights at stake. This time there would also be a final appearance at stake – that of the Spanish Supercup which Real Madrid are favorites to lift.
However, this Barcelona side is different from the one that lost 1-2 at home earlier in the season. Under Xavi Hernández, the Catalan side has seen several reserve talents being given their debuts with the first team. And, a few new signings have also been made.
After predicting the three decisive players for the fixture, here are my three bold predictions for what would be a chance for these two Spanish giants to get a step closer to the season’s first trophy.
Marco Asensio’s sweet left foot comes to be of good use to Madrid
Marco Asensio’s clutch display towards the end of Real’s clash with third-tier side Alcoyano was much applauded by Madridistas. He was able to score a much-needed goal for Real Madrid. After Alcoyano drew level with a spectacular effort from short range, it was Asensio’s well-placed finish that took a deflection and went in to restore Real Madrid’s lead.
Asensio’s major problem has been his consistency. But to everyone’s surprise, the Spaniard was even better in the 4-1 thrashing of Valencia at the White House. And no, this time Asensio didn’t have to score a goal to make a mark on the match. Rather, we could see him being a constant threat to the visitors’ defense. He won a total of five free-kicks for his side, per WhoScored. And, he even tracked back at times to support the defense, something that has been lacking so far. He had a brilliant two-footed sliding challenge in the game and quite deservedly he received a rating of 7.0 in our player ratings for the game.
El Clasico is a big game. And games like these call for out-of-nowhere magic that Asensio’s sweet left foot is capable of producing. We saw a jaw-dropping curler to seal the game against Inter Milan in the Champions League and a spectacular hat trick against his boyhood club Mallorca earlier in the league that included two brilliant pieces of finishing. He’ll have to work hard in this one especially because he’d be paired against Jordi Alba. But, I still think he’ll end up scoring one in this game or aid the attack with a display similar to his performance against Valencia.