More from Author Melissa Galbraith here: https://globelivemedia.com/author/melissa-galbraith/
First title of 2021. La Cartuja as the stage and Barcelona and Athletic as main actors. The final of this Spanish Super Cup comes with two protagonists with doubts who hope to use the super champion trophy as a springboard that makes one forget a 2020 full of irregularity. The Catalans lost the last edition, in Saudi Arabia, and returned without a title and without a coach. Since then, first Setién and now Koeman try to channel the course of the Culé ship. The rojiblancos, for their part, have recently dispensed with Garitano and entrusted their future to Marcelino.
One of the semifinals was marked by an absence, Leo Messi, and by the success of Ter Stegen. The absence of the Argentine star gave wings to Real Sociedad, which, had it not been for the German goalkeeper, would have opposed the repetition of last year’s cup final still to be played. The penalties smiled at the Blaugrana. In the other, it was the success of Raúl García that deprived Real Madrid of the opportunity to revalidate last year’s title. Two punctual errors by Lucas Vázquez were enough punishment for a white team that could not turn the scoreboard and placed Marcelino’s men in the grand final.
Curiously, just eleven days ago there was an aperitif of the final. On Three Kings Day, the super cup finalists met in a league match in San Mamés. Barça conquered the Cathedral (2-3), Messi through: Leo would sign two goals and a great performance. It was Marcelino’s first match at the head of the lions.
Possible alignments of Barcelona and Athletic
On this occasion, the presence of ’10’ is the biggest unknown of the game. At first he is expected to participate, but from the bench, with Braithwaite in charge of occupying his starting place. Dest’s return to the team after his discomfort in the semis would be the other note marked by an eleven that is expected to be like this: Ter Stegen; Dest, Araújo, Lenglet, Alba; Pedri, Busquets, De Jong; Dembélé, Griezmann and Braithwaite.
On the Bilbao side, the good news for Marcelino is that Muniain’s premature withdrawal from the field against Madrid was scared, so he could be part of an eleven where the presence of Vesga or Dani García is the only doubt: Unai Simon; Capa, Núñez, Íñigo Martínez, Balenziaga; De Marcos, Vencedor, Dani García, Muniain; Raúl García and Williams.