3 bold predictions for Real Madrid vs Barcelona in the Supercopa 2022 Semifinal

Real Madrid will secure a much-needed clean sheet victory

Real Madrid hasn’t kept a clean sheet in 2022. They first lost 1-0 away at Getafe and then conceded one to a brilliant finish from Alcoyano’s Dani Vega. In the last game against Valencia, Real Madrid was really unlucky to have failed to keep a clean sheet. Ferland Mendy made a forgettable mistake to give away a penalty that Thibaut Courtois actually saved. However, he could do nothing about the rebound from Goncalo Guedes.

This match finally could be the one to bring home the year’s first clean sheet. Real had a sound defensive performance against Valencia and truly deserved to have kept the clean sheet. This game could see another upgrade because Real Madrid’s trusted first-choice right-back, Dani Carvajal is expected to join the team. He is included in the squad list and I am hoping that the Spaniard starts.

The Catalan attack on the other hand doesn’t look too accomplished to trouble Real Madrid’s first-choice back four. Memphis Depay could be a threat. But, he only made his return in the game against Granada and played a 30-minute cameo where he didn’t look in rhythm at all. Real Madrid probably wouldn’t get a better opposition to start securing clean sheets with. And, keeping in mind the Clasico factor and the knockout factor, we can assume our defenders to be extra careful about this one.

It so happens in football that whenever a run of good form or a run of clean sheets is broken it takes some time to restore it and similarly, once a team finds its rhythm it’s difficult to get them off it. For instance, Eder Militao’s loss of concentration in the opening exchanges of the Getafe game spoiled Real’s consecutive clean sheets and all of a sudden Real conceded in three consecutive games. In football, it is always about sequence and I predict that this is the one where Real gets their defense right and gets the column of clean sheets ticking in 2022.