Real Madrid will face Athletic Bilbao on Sunday night in the Supercopa final, having gotten past the challenge of rivals FC Barcelona in the semifinals. Los Blancos definitely outplayed their LaLiga foes in the last round at mid-week, but defensive instability with David Alaba injured and missed chances meant the game went to extra time.
Carlo Ancelotti knows his team must be more thorough in their approach against Athletic Bilbao, who played the Merengue club tough in both of their league fixtures this season. In the first one, Real were fortunate to win, as Thibaut Courtois needed to save the day.
Let’s take a look at the possible starting lineup for Real Madrid on Sunday as Ancelotti looks to bring home his first title of his second stint as manager.
GK Thibaut Courtois
Thibaut Courtois is a lock to start in goal. As we saw in the semifinal against Barcelona, the big Belgian seems to come up with a game-saving stop every other week.
LB Ferland Mendy
Ferland Mendy had one of his best matches of 2021-2022 on Wednesday in Saudi Arabia, sending social media into a frenzy with a tight dribble out of his own box. Seeing Mendy with confidence on the ball is important to Madrid, because his biggest weakness is in the accuracy of his passing. Mendy could be an X-Factor against Bilbao in terms of how much he can contribute to the attack.
CB Nacho Fernandez
David Alaba is expected to miss the final after being a late absence for the semifinal due to an injury. The No. 4’s presence was sorely missed, as Alaba is a vital leader who helps Real so much with their build-up play. Nacho Fernandez is an adequate replacement and should be good enough against Bilbao’s attack. But he cannot be overly aggressive as he was earlier this season, otherwise the opposition, led by the Williams brothers, could take advantage.
CB Eder Militao
We’ve seen a couple of rough matches from Eder Militao recently. He made a woeful error early against Getafe, which doomed Real Madrid to a loss to start 2022. And after a good performance vs. Valencia, Militao had some more mental lapses against Barcelona. Those errors did not prove costly, but the margin for error will be slimmer against a better defensive side in Athletic Club. On top of that, Militao must remain focused on balls over the top and set pieces.
RB Lucas Vazquez
Dani Carvajal will be out due to COVID-19, not an injury this time. That means Real Madrid will call Lucas Vazquez’s number again to start on Sunday evening. The long-time Madridista was very good against Barça on Wednesday, just as he has been for multiple Clasicos in a row. Hopefully, Vazquez will be game in El Viejo Clasico, as the quality of his final ball could be key to a win. He was less than impressive the last time these two teams played.
CM Toni Kroos
Although Gavi posted a now-deleted Instagram photo at his expense and some fans remarked that Toni Kroos was average by his standards, the reality is that Kroos played very well in another Clasico. His standards are so high. Kroos completed 97 percent of his passes and did an important job of keeping the game ticking over without Alaba behind him. The stability Kroos provides matters so much, and it will be vital this weekend in the Supercopa final. Vinicius has definitely helped Kroos and his midfield counterpart Modric find a capable recipient for their teasing passes.
DM Casemiro
Casemiro is another must-start for Real Madrid. The criticisms of the Brazilian defensive midfielder have grown too harsh. Los Blancos are indisputably better with him in the lineup, provided he is not fully drained of stamina. His toughness is a defining trait in matches like this, knowing the fight Athletic Bilbao will bring with a title on the line – against their historic rivals, of all teams. He is an underrated candidate to be Man of the Match, as he is another player who can show his full qualities in a final.
CM Luka Modric
The masterful performances just keep coming from Luka Modric, who has obviously earned an extension from Real Madrid. Modric is a strong Man of the Match candidate against Athletic Club. These are the matches in which his defensive contributions, ball-carrying, and magic in tight spaces as a passer and dribbler matter so much. Athletic Bilbao know how to suffocate the middle of the pitch, so Modric’s ability to use a defensive player’s bodyweight against them and ability to manufacture space will eventually lead to a goal or two in the final tally for Real.
LW Vinicius Jr.
Vinicius Jr. was untouchable against Barcelona in Real’s most recent fixture, and Madridistas are excited to see what he can do to Athletic Club in the final. The young winger has been one of the best players in all of Europe so far this season, scoring and creating chances aplenty for the Merengue club. Vini’s quality was a saving grace for the outfield in the first fixture against the Lions, and he could have another game-changing display this Sunday.
It will be important for Real to get him the ball in space as often as possible. Good things happen when they feed Vini opportunities, and that is why you see so many early balls to him from the center backs.
CF Karim Benzema
Karim Benzema scored one of the prettiest curlers you’ll see against Athletic Club at San Mames last month. He then had a vital goal in the Supercopa semifinal, deservingly picking up the Man of the Match honors. Benzema has a case for being the best player in the world right now, based on what he did in 2021 and what he is continuing to do so far in 2022. He was also fantastic last weekend against Valencia with two goals. You almost expect Benz to score this weekend in the final. After all, he has 17 goals in 20 matches in LaLiga.
RW Rodrygo Goes
Marco Asensio scored late against Alcoyano to help Real Madrid win their Copa del Rey opener, and he was effective in the weekend win over Valencia in LaLiga. However, Asensio delivered another stinker in El Clasico, showing that he is unreliable against stronger sides. Asensio cannot be trusted against Athletic Club. Meanwhile, Rodrygo Goes is able to elevated himself in big matches, as we have seen with his assists in Clasicos, including on Wednesday, and throughout his Champions League career. Expect to see a return to the starting XI for Real’s other highly talented Brazilian wide forward.