Real Madrid and Manchester United will face each other this evening for the first piece of silverware on offer as current holders of the two European trophies – the Champions League and Europa League, respectively.
Real Madrid have had a disappointing pre-season, in complete contrast to their double-winning 2016/17 campaign – in the preparatory International Champions Cup 2017 – where the reigning European Champions were defeated by the two Manchester clubs and FC Barcelona before they completed the tour with a 4-2 win (through penalties) against the MLS All-Stars.
Manager Zinedine Zidane has not made giant strides so far in the summer, unlike some of Real Madrid’s domestic and European rivals, yet they are still the benchmark in the continent, having won the Champions League three times in the last four years.
Los Blancos do have a busy schedule in the opening weeks as a two-legged Clásico affair against arch nemesis FC Barcelona awaits in the Spanish Super Cup before they begin the defence of their La Liga crown on 20 August.
But ahead of that, old employee Jose Mourinho and his new look Manchester United side stand in the way between themselves and a fourth Super Cup win.
For Mourinho, this is an opportunity to face his old side Real Madrid – and pick up another piece of silverware against the best side in Europe. The Portuguese, unlike his counterpart, has made three significant additions to his first team squad, spending close to £150 million in the process of building on the platform he had laid last season, largely supported by the Europa League win in May – which has brought Manchester United back in Europe’s Premier competition.
The Red Devils have enjoyed a good pre-season campaign winning six out of seven games.
Mourinho is hoping to start the new competitive campaign on a positive note and continue from where they left off in Stockholm: thrusting silverware into the night air.
Ronaldo in Real Madrid squad
Cristiano Ronaldo has been named in Real Madrid’s squad for the UEFA Super Cup against the forward’s former club Manchester United in Skopje this evening.
Madrid have included Ronaldo, who only returned to first-team training on Saturday after a dramatic off-season that saw reports emerge that he wanted to leave the club, in their 24-man squad for the game against former head coach Jose Mourinho.
New signings Theo Hernandez and Dani Ceballos are also included, along with Ronaldo’s ‘BBC’ attacking team-mates Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale.
Ronaldo’s arrival ahead of the new season came later than his team-mates due to his participation in the Confederations Cup with Portugal.
Luke Shaw, Marcos Rojo and Ashley Young are still on their road to recovery and rehabilitation and will not be available to play in Skopje, while goalkeeper Sergio Romero and Jesse Lingard were not part of the travelling squad in the club’s final pre-season fixture in Dublin.
Eric Bailly will miss out through suspension after UEFA extended his initial one-match ban to three games, following the red card he received against Anderlecht at Old Trafford and Phil Jones will be unavailable too due to another punishment handed by UEFA, announced last week.
Interesting numbers
Madrid are aiming to become the first team to win successive UEFA Super Cups since AC Milan in 1989 and 1990.
This is the sides’ 11th meeting, with Madrid having won four and United two with four draws. Madrid have scored 20 goals to United’s 16.
United are unbeaten in their last 11 European matches (W8 D3) since a 2-1 loss at Fenerbahçe SK on matchday four of last season’s UEFA Europa League. That reverse in Istanbul was their fifth in nine matches.