The new Spanish season gets under way on Sunday with a game taking place on foreign shores, as the Super Cup is contested in Morocco between Sevilla and reigning league and cup champions Barcelona.
There is a new look to both teams, with Barca boss Ernesto Valverde able to give debuts to summer signings Clement Lenglet, Arthur, Malcom and Arturo Vidal, while new Sevilla coach Pablo Machin can also call upon the services of several new signings.
Most of Barca’s stars, such as Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Philippe Coutinho, have not featured at all in the pre-season preparations after making a late return to training following their World Cup exertions, so Valverde may keep some of his biggest names on the bench.
Here are three of the big talking points ahead of the contest.
ANOTHER MILESTONE FOR MESSI?
The game gives Lionel Messi an opportunity to start the season by notching up yet another milestone: the most honours won by any Barcelona player.
Messi is currently tied with Andres Iniesta after claiming 32 titles during his time with the club, but the midfielder’s departure to Japan means that Messi can now move clear into first place outright.
Messi has already won the Spanish Super Cup on seven occasions and is the competition’s all-time leading scorer with 13 goals in his previous 17 appearances, and kicking off the new campaign by racking up trophy number 33 would be exactly the tonic he needs after the deep frustrations he endured during the World Cup.
He has not been in action since hapless Argentina’s exit against eventual winners France six weeks ago, and the newly-appointed Barca skipper will be relieved to return to comfortable surroundings after the chaos of his national team’s set-up this summer.
ELECTRIC ATMOSPHERE FAVOURING BARCA?
🏟ℹ️ | The Super Cup between FC Barcelona and Sevilla sunday will be played in Tangier. Some details:
— Culé Source (@CuleSource) August 10, 2018
Name: Stade Ibn Batouta
Location: Tangier, Morocco
Inaugurated: april 2011
Capacity: 45.000
Home Team: IR Tanger pic.twitter.com/vXtesxAuWh
This edition of the Spanish Super Cup is like no other, with the game in Tangier marking the first time the trophy has been held overseas and played as a one-off fixture.
The title is normally decided over two legs, home and away, having been staged in that manner on every previous occasion since it was first permanently introduced to the annual calendar in 1982.
However, this time around Barca’s pre-season tour to the United States and Sevilla’s involvement in the Europa League qualifying rounds meant it was impossible to find two available dates, so the Spanish Football Federation eventually decided to take the game to a neutral venue as a one-off.
Although Sevilla is much closer geographically to Morocco, Barca are expected to enjoy the vast majority of support from the locals, who will be thrilled by the rare opportunity to watch Messi and co in action.
The exotic location of the 45,000 capacity Stade Ibn Batouta is likely to be matched by an electric atmosphere, and the noise and colour of the Moroccan fans could create an occasion to remember.
SEVILLA LAUNCHING INTO BRIGHT NEW ERA?
New Sevilla boss Pablo Machin, who previously enjoyed great success with Barca’s Catalan neighbours Girona, is looking to launch a new era for the Andalusian club following last season’s frustrating seventh-place finish.
A key new player for Sevilla is Czech international goalkeeper Tomas Vaclik, who has been recruited from Basel to replace Fulham-bound Sergio Rico. Defender Joris Gnagnon has been snapped up for €15m from Rennes, with midfielder Ibrahim Amadou arriving for a similar sum from Lille.
Winger Aleix Vidal will be hoping to face his former club after being signed from Barcelona during the summer, and Sunday’s game provides an early opportunity to see how Machin plans to reshape his new team.
