9′ Vazquez has to execute some heroics around his own box as Bilbao make an opportunity out of nothing thanks to a fantastic slide challenge and lob pass. Madrid mop up under pressure.
7′ Ramos is pinged for a sloppy challenge in midfield and Bilbao play their set-piece wide down the right flank rather than straight into the box. Their overlap has vision and proves just too heavy-footed.
5′ Bilbao withstand a first and then a second corner, before breaking down the opposite end. They fail to convert a chance and Madrid counter straight back, though Modric wastes the final shot.
3′ Early signs of promise for Bilbao give way to the first corner of the game for Madrid down the other end after Nunez is forced to stave off a promising set-play by Los Blancos.
1′ We are underway in this Supercopa de Espana clash between Real Madrid and Athletic Bilbao!
The teams are out in Malaga and we’re moments away from kick-off.
These sides only met last month of course, when Madrid ran out 3-1 winners against 10-men Bilbao in La Liga. A repeat of that would suit Los Blancos just fine.
It’s obviously quite recent history for Madrid in this competition – but it wasn’t too long ago Bilbao picked up the Supercopa de Espana themselves. As 2015 Copa runners-up, they faced Barcelona following the latter’s domestic double and promptly trounced them 5-1 on aggregate later that year.
Subs: Jon Morcillo, Yeray Alvarez, Mikel Vesga, Ibai Gomez, Alejandro Berenguer Remiro, Jokin Ezkieta, Ingo Lekue, Oihan Sancet, Asier Villalibre.
ATHLETIC BILBAO (4-4-2): Unai Simon; Ander Capa, Unai Nunez, Inigo Martinez, Mikel Balenziaga; Oscar de Marcos, Dani Garcia, Unai Vencedor, Iker Muniain; Raul Garcia, Inaki Williams.
Subs: Eder Militao, Nacho, Marcelo Vieira, Andriy Lunin, Federico Valverde, Vinicius Junior, Martin Odegaard, Isco, Mariano.
REAL MADRID (4-3-3): Thibaut Courtois; Lucas Vazquez, Raphael Varane, Sergio Ramos, Ferland Mendy; Toni Kroos, Casemiro, Luka Modric; Marco Asensio, Karim Benzema, Eden Hazard.
The big news is that Madrid are unchanged from the side held by Osasuna over the weekend, with Zidane keeping the faith in his starting XI. Inaki Williams partners Raul Garcia in attack for Bilbao.
Sociedad were unable to make it two finals in the space of four months on Wednesday when they were edged in a penalty shootout by Barcelona, which means the Blaugrana await the winners. Both sides know there’s a lot on the table in here.
But between Zinedine Zidane and yet more silverware are 2020 Copa del Rey finalists Bilbao – who, in a weird quirk of pandemic-related fate, are yet to even play that match, with their tie against Real Sociedad in April. It’s been a strange 12 months.
It’s the second iteration of Spain’s super cup tournament as a four-team event, following on from last term’s maiden expansion – and it was Madrid who took home inaugural honours. Victory today takes them a match away from a repeat of such a feat.
Hello and welcome to live coverage of the 2020-21 Supercopa de Espana, as holders Real Madrid look to seal a consecutive berth in the showpiece match against Athletic Bilbao at La Rosaleda Stadium in Malaga.
