The biggest match of club football will take place at the Al-Awwal Stadium when Real Madrid and FC Barcelona take on each other in the Spanish Super Cup final on Sunday.
Madrid vs Barcelona, commonly termed “El Clasico”, is the biggest rivalry in club football where fans get to witness the best encounters.
Similarly, having invested significantly to host the tournament in Saudi Arabia, organisers will be content to witness Spain's two prominent clubs vie for the coveted title.
Madrid are in excellent form securing victory in their last 12 out of 14 matches.
On the other hand, while Barcelona are struggling to maintain consistency, their last defeat came on December 13 against Royal Antwerp in the Champions League.
Five players will be on the watchlist of fans, who are expecting a blockbuster between the arch-rivals as Xavi’s men would be willing to replicate last year’s final when they defeated Ancelotti’s side 3-1 comfortably.
Five players to watch during Madrid vs Barcelona
Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid)
Jude Bellingham emerged as the best player in the world in no time and the threat he possesses on the field is no secret to anyone, having scored 17 goals and provided five assists in 23 matches in his debut season with the Whites, the Englishman’s quality is of no doubt. He was the difference between the two sides when they last met in a La Liga match as the 20-year-old scored two goals to secure a decisive victory.
Pedri
Even though Pedri just returned from a long injury in the match against Osasuna, he impressed everyone with his unique playing style in the 30 minutes he got to play.
The 21-year-old had a 100% passing accuracy and completed three out of three dribbles. Xavi was seen with a smile on his face seeing the Spaniard back to himself as he is considered one of the most important players of the team.
Vinicius Jr.
One of the best dribblers in the world with quick feet, Vinicius is one of the very few attackers in football who are capable of giving a Player of the Match-worthy performance without scoring a goal or providing an assist. Despite not being able to provide any goal contributions in the eight-goal thriller against Atletico Madrid, the Brazilian possessed a constant threat to Diego Simeone’s men and would aim to do the same to Xavi’s troops.
Robert Lewandowski
Robert Lewandowski has been one of the best strikers in the world for the last 10 years and has maintained his image as a big game player. He stepped up during the semi-final against Osasuna and broke the deadlock by finding the back of the net in the 59th minute. The Pole will be a constant threat in the box and will surely give tough times for Madrid’s centre-back pairing of Antonio Rudiger and Nacho Fernandez.
Dani Carvajal
Real Madrid wouldn’t be playing tonight if it was not for their captain, Dani Carvajal, who rose to the occasion against Atletico and became the Player of the Match with his heroics. The 32-year-old scored an 85th-minute equaliser and then provided the winning assist to Joselu, who scored a header in the 116th minute. He has been Real Madrid's one of best players this season and would surely be the one to watch during tonight’s encounter.
