FC Barcelona vs Real Madrid: Spanish Super Cup leg 1 live scores, blog

Match result:

Real Madrid finished all over the top of FC Barcelona en route to securing a 3-1 win that all but secures another trophy for Zidane.

Real have such great depth to call upon and that was the difference yet again as Asensio and Ronaldo left their mark with great goals while Barcelona could only score via a Messi penalty.

Big questions should be raised of Barcelona’s capabilities to challenge on all fronts this season. If they fail to secure a transfer target before August 31st, the Catalan club may be in for a very lean campaign.

Real meanwhile continue to go from strength to strength, and that was epitomised through Ronaldo’s great goal. Asensio also left his mark with a stunning finish. Make no mistake, this is the era of Real Madrid and Barcelona have a massive fight on their hands to challenge their eternal rivals this season.

Even without Ronaldo, Real were superb and looked comfortable even with 10 men. Real the team to beat no question.

Final score
FC Barcelona 1
Real Madrid 3

Match preview:

El Clasico rivals FC Barcelona and Real Madrid clash at the Camp Nou in the first leg of what should be an epic Spanish Super Cup tie between the two biggest teams in world football. Join The Roar for live scores and commentary from 6am AEST.

Barcelona and Real have endured dramatic off seasons, with both clubs having to contend with conjecture surrounding the future of two superstars at their respective clubs.

Firstly, Real’s best player Cristiano Ronaldo was reportedly on his way out of Madrid after growing frustrated with the tax evasion case currently plaguing him.

When the dust settled however, it was always going to be highly unlikely that Ronaldo of all players would leave a club that just secured back-to-back Champions League titles, solidifying the Portuguese superstar’s claim as the best player on the planet.

Unfortunately for Barcelona however, transfer speculation surrounding Neymar’s departure to Paris St Germain ultimately proved true, with the Brazilian securing a world record move to the Ligue 1 giants to step out of Lionel Messi’s shadow in a bid to become the best footballer on the planet.

Since Neymar’s dramatic departure, Barcelona has been desperately seeking a worthy replacement on the player market, with Paulo Dybala, Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele and Phillipe Coutinho all linked with a potential move to the Catalan club.

Regardless of what happens before August 31, the fact remains that Barcelona will line-up against Real without Neymar, and it will be fascinating to see how they adapt to life without the dynamic Brazilian forward.

Despite Neymar’s departure however, FC Barcelona perhaps remain the only team in Europe that Real truly fear. Against any other opposition, Real possess a fear factor that makes any opposition adopt a tentative approach when it comes to dealing with Real’ pragmatic and ruthless squad.

Against Barcelona however, Real still haven’t figured out how to consistently get the better of their Catalan rivals. Indeed Barcelona (without Neymar) still managed to defeat Madrid 3-2 at the Bernabeu last season in a match where Messi scored two terrific goals – the result coming just days after Juventus eliminated Barcelona from the Champions League.

With that said, Real’s success under Zidane has been exceptional. The Frenchman is a highly pragmatic manager, resting his best players regularly throughout La Liga and Copa del Rey to focus purely on winning the trophy that counts – the Champions League. His approach has yielded enormous returns for a club that rightfully prides itself on its dominance of continental competitions.

If Barcelona hope to ever reclaim European dominance, they have to be just as pragmatic, and pick their battles carefully, beginning tonight with a strong Supercup showing at the Camp Nou that will undoubtedly boost confidence heading into the new season.

Prediction
Barcelona and Real remain the two finest teams on the planet, and Ronaldo and Messi remain the key linchpins to success. In another epic contest, expect tonight’s game to end in an entertaining draw, with both players once again leaving their mark.

Barcelona and Real to draw 2-2