For much of its history, Spain’s Super Cup has been a two-legged tie played at the beginning of the season, with odds of 50:50 for each time to win. In 2019/20 it was moved to January and enlarged to four teams: the winners and runners-up in both La Liga and the Copa del Rey. Previously it had been contested between the winners of league and cup, much like the Charity or Community Shield in English football.
Spanish Super Cup History
Spain’s first Super Cup was in 1982. Real Sociedad beat Real Madrid over two legs, winning 4-0 after extra time (1-1 in the tie at full-time of normal time) in their home stadium. Amazingly, Real Madrid played extra time with nine men. The winning Sociedad team included future Barcelona legends Jose Mari Bakero and Txiki Begiristain.
In 2018, in Spain’s first Super Cup to be decided in a single game, Barcelona beat Sevilla 2-1, in line with betting; because the Catalonians had won both the league and the Copa del Rey, Sevilla played them as the losers of the cup final. Ousmane Dembele scored the winner in Tangier, Morocco, for a team which also included Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi. The odds were definitely in Barcelona’s favour.
Messi’s Success In Super Cup
If Messi is playing, Barcelona are more likely to win. With 14 goals in 19 appearances, Messi leads the scoring charts over Raul (seven), Hristo Stoichkov (six) and Begiristain (six). Messi’s Barcelona have won the Super Cup 13 times, losing 10 finals; Real Madrid are the current holders, having won the four-team 2019/20 tournament on penalties.
Barcelona had been knocked out in the semi-finals by Atletico Madrid. In front of almost 60,000 people in Saudi Arabia – something which will be repeated for the next two Super Cups – Messi’s 14th Super Cup goal only served as an equaliser as Atletico came back from 2-1 down to win 3-2.
Valencia, whom Real Madrid had beaten in the other semi-final, were making their first Super Cup appearance since 2008. They won the trophy in 1999 with a team that included the likes of Santiago Canizares, Claudio Lopez and Kily Gonzalez, overcoming Barcelona – coached by Louis van Gaal and containing seven Dutch players – 4-3 on aggregate.
Other Super Cup Winners
Deportivo La Coruna’s team of the turn of the millennium won two Spanish Super Cups in three seasons: in 2000, they overcame Espanyol 2-0 on aggregate, then in 2002 they beat Valencia 4-0, thanks to goals from Victor and the centre-forward play of Roy Makaay. Given that the Valencia manager was Rafael Benitez, this upset the betting odds: he would be named UEFA Manager of the Year 2003/04 and 2004/05, so it was a rare off-day for the great Spanish coach. When scanning the betting odds, look for the team which has a great man in the dugout, which may make the difference.
In 2015 Athletic Bilbao shocked Barcelona by winning 5-1 on aggregate. Aritz Aduriz scored a first-leg hat-trick and, at the back, Aymeric Laporte managed to keep Lionel Messi relatively quiet (the Argentinean scored Barcelona’s consolation at Camp Nou). Aduriz and Messi are still playing for their clubs so there is every chance, when football resumes, that they will meet in Spain’s next Super Cup.
Spanish Super Cup Betting Tips
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