UEFA SUPER CUP
Gareth Bale insists he feels no pressure at the prospect of leading Real Madrid’s charge for the UEFA Super Cup on home soil tonight.
The Welsh winger is back in his home town, Cardiff, for the clash with Europa League winners Sevilla having played a starring role as his club lifted both the Champions League and Copa del Rey last season.
Bale was greeted by raucous cheers as he stepped off the team bus for training at the Cardiff City Stadium last night, and will be expected to dazzle in a team that will also contain debutants James Rodriguez and Toni Kroos.
Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti joked yesterday that he might start Bale on the bench in order to shelter his star winger, but the man himself is raring to go.
“It’s great to be back home but the most important thing for us is to win the game and to be prepared. It’s a title that we obviously want to win so we need to focus on that and not playing in my home town,” he said.
“I’m looking forward to the season ahead, I feel in great shape and for me I don’t feel any pressure at being back home.
“It’s a big match that we want to win and a trophy we want to win, but it’s another game and one I’m going to have to give 110 per cent to show my best in.”
Ancelotti predicted that Bale could improve on his debut campaign with Madrid — in which he scored in both domestic and European cup finals — as he has had the benefit of a full pre-season.
The Welshman spent most of last summer in limbo as he waited for his move from Tottenham to be finalised.
“Obviously it’s a lot easier having a pre-season under your belt rather than being sat at home waiting for a transfer to go through,” he added.
“I feel in much better shape this year, I feel like I can start the season at a better tempo and with a better performance.”
And the Welshman hopes he can help lead the club to more silverware on the pitch.
“For us every season we want to win every trophy we’re in for,” Bale added.
“So no matter what team we’re playing, no matter what trophy we’re playing for, we want to win everything.
“So we’ll be trying our best to win the Champions League, the league and everything again this year and if we work hard I think we can do that.”
Team news:
Real Madrid: Real Madrid could hand competitive debuts to summer arrivals Toni Kroos and James Rodríguez, though Keylor Navas may miss out on a starting spot to stalwart Iker Casillas. Cristiano Ronaldo has been carrying a knock but has returned
to full training and is expected to start.
Sevilla: Sevilla begin life without Ivan Rakitic, who signed for Barcelona over the summer. Boss Unai Emery could hand debuts to summer signings Grzegorz Krychowiak, Aleix Vidal and Iago Aspas. Colombia’s World Cup star Carlos Bacca should lead the attack, alongside Denis Suarez and Aspas.
Likely line-ups:
Real Madrid: (4-2-3-1)
Sevilla: (4-3-3)
Key players:
Real Madrid: Gareth Bale
Unlike many of his Real team-mates, Bale has had the summer off and will be fresh and highly motivated tonight. With the game taking place in his hometown and at the Cardiff City Stadium– a venue he knows so well– you can expect fireworks from the explosive forward. Bale has looked powerful and sharp in pre-season and this is a great stage for him.
Sevilla: Carlos Bacca
The Colombian World Cup player proved a key player in Sevilla’s successful Europa League campaign and his waspish forward play will be essential if they are to have any joy tonight. A striker who is constantly on the move, Bacca can be a nightmare to defend against, especially with his incisive dribbling and direct style.
Sport360° prediction
Real Madrid 3:1 Sevilla
Madrid will be too powerful for their Spanish opponents and with the squad depth they now have, their midfielders and forwards have a big point to prove to Carlo Ancelotti ahead of La-Liga.
