The UEFA Super Cup has come around again and this time it will be contested by Real Madrid and Eintracht Frankfurt.
The first European honour of the 2022-23 season is up for grabs at the Olympic Stadium in Helsinki, as Real Madrid and Eintracht Frankfurt take part in the latest edition of the UEFA Super Cup.
Los Blancos edged out Liverpool to win their 14th Champions League crown last term, while the Bundesliga outfit came up trumps in the Europa League.
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The Spanish side qualified as the winners of the 2021/22 Champions league having beaten Liverpool at the Stade de France in Paris earlier this year.
Eintracht booked their place by beating Rangers in the Europa League final at Sevilla’s Stadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan. The game ended 1-1 but the Bundesliga side won 5-4 on penalties.
This match will be the first time since the 1960 European Cup final that the two sides have faced each other competitively. Real Madrid won that game 7-3 at Hampden Park in Glasgow.
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The final at the Stade de France will forever be overshadowed by the harrowing scenes outside the stadium as fans were refused entry, tear-gassed by riot police and targeted by opportune criminals, and celebrating Vinicius Junior’s winner almost seemed inappropriate for some at the time.
Nevertheless, Real Madrid and four-time Champions League winner Ancelotti were allowed to savour the moment back home after completing a domestic and European double, and the defence of their La Liga crown will soon commence against Almeria this weekend.
Match Preview and Team news
Real Madrid head into the Super Cup without any injury concerns bedevilling Ancelotti, although Reinier Jesus has been absent from training in anticipation of another loan move away from the club.
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Ancelotti must decide whether to hand competitive debuts to Antonio Rudiger and Aurelien Tchouameni here, but the duo are seemingly fighting an uphill battle to become regular starters this season.
As for Frankfurt, Glasner has already ruled defender Jerome Onguene out of the Super Cup, with the 24-year-old still sidelined with a troublesome thigh problem, and Aurelio Buta is recovering from knee surgery.
The German side otherwise have no players in the treatment room – Hrvoje Smolcic will also return from a domestic suspension – but Glasner still has some key decisions to make after the manner of his side’s humiliating loss to Bayern.
Jesper Lindstrom, Sebastian Rode and Rafael Borre were all taken off at half time in that game, with the latter’s replacement, Randal Kolo Muani, scoring his side’s consolation after his move from Nantes.
Line up
Real Madrid have published their starting lineup for the upcoming match against Eintracht Frankfurt in the 2022 UEFA European Supercup Final.
Real Madrid starting XI: Courtois, Carvajal, Militao, Alaba, Mendy, Casemiro, Kroos, Modric, Valverde, Vinicius, Benzema.
Eintracht Frankfurt starting XI (TBC): Trapp, Toure, Tuta, Ndicka, Knauff, Lenz, Sow, Rode, Gotze, Lindstrom, Borre.
As expected, Carlo Ancelotti has deployed the same lineup he used last May, when Real Madrid won their 14th Champions League title against Liverpool. Los Blancos are the heavy favorites to come out on top, so it’s likely that new signings Aurelien Tchouameni and Antonio Rudiger come off the bench late in the second half to make their debut for the club.
Where to watch Real Madrid vs Eintracht Frankfurt
Available TV: TUDN (USA), Movistar Liga de Campeones (Spain)
Available Streaming: Paramount+, TUDN.com (USA), Fubo.TV (USA).
For those in the United Kingdom, the game will be shown live on BT Sport. CBS and TUDN are the places to watch in the USA.
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