Key matchups for the first leg of the Spanish Super Cup.

Tonight, the football atmosphere will be heated up again with the clash between two stars, Barca and Real Madrid, a showdown expected to inspire the entire 2012/13 season.

Barca vs Real Madrid

Barca, the reigning Spanish Super Cup champions, will need to secure a home advantage before their trip to Santiago Bernabeu next week. Meanwhile, Real Madrid are eager to redeem themselves after their disappointing draw with Valencia in the opening match of La Liga last weekend.

Barcelona players want to dedicate Tito Vilanova's first title as a coach, while the Madrid stars want to bring home their first Spanish Super Cup since 2008. The stars of both teams are ready for the El Clásico clash, and here are some of the most promising and exciting moments on the pitch.



Dani Alves vs Cristiano Ronaldo

It's no secret that Ronaldo is Los Blancos' most dangerous weapon. The Portuguese superstar's goalscoring record is incredible and, remember, it continues to improve over time.

On the other side, Alves is a true prodigy, capable of running up and down the right flank for the entire 90 minutes without showing any signs of fatigue. Alves will receive support to deal with Ronaldo, most likely captain Carles Puyol, as usual. But in some cases, the Brazilian defender will certainly have to go one-on-one with the "CR7 destruction machine".

Although not considered a defensive specialist, Alves's cunning could still frustrate Ronaldo. However, the Real Madrid player only needed a moment of carelessness to score the decisive goal. On the other hand, Alves has excellent attacking support capabilities, especially with Lionel Messi. Therefore, he is also a potential attacking threat for Barca in every offensive move.


Sergio Busquets vs Mesut Oezil

There was a time when Oezil wasn't trusted by Real Madrid's coach Jose Mourinho in the starting lineup for El Clasico matches. But that's no longer the case after his recent impressive performances. Therefore, the crucial task for Barcelona's defensive midfielder, Busquets, is to neutralize this threat.

Neither of them is particularly agile, but they play with excellent intelligence and incredibly skillful feet. If Real Madrid launch a counter-attack but don't have enough players involved, Oezil can still calmly deliver a superb pass that puts his teammate in a clear scoring position. For this reason, it's not easy to stop Oezil, but it's something Busquets absolutely must do.

Oezil's biggest limitation is his limited speed and stamina, which will put him at a disadvantage against Busquets in a prolonged match. In that scenario, the Barcelona midfielder will have the space and time to organize attacks from his own half. Oezil, like Ronaldo, is a genius in attack but less effective when it comes to defending.

Jordi Alba vs Alvaro Arbeloa

The two Spanish players will face each other in a battle on Barca's left flank. Alba is a new Barca signing with excellent attacking capabilities. Therefore, he will frequently push forward to put pressure on Arbeloa with his superb speed.

However, Arbeloa is also a solid, experienced, and seasoned defender, as demonstrated by his performance at EURO 2012. Unlike Alba, Arbeloa doesn't often push forward because Angel di Maria is almost incapable of providing defensive support. Therefore, Arbeloa will remain in his own half to tightly seal off his defensive area.

Lionel Messi vs Raul Albiol, Sergio Ramos and the entire Real Madrid defense.

Messi is, of course, always the most important player in every match he participates in. The Argentine superstar will certainly feel more comfortable knowing that Real Madrid's Pepe is unavailable. Pepe is not only a fantastic defender, but he also consistently makes powerful tackles against Messi.

Replacing Pepe will almost certainly be Albiol, a talented player but one who gets few opportunities to play in the Real Madrid lineup. Besides him, Ramos is a skillful and powerful defender, one of the best in the world. But one thing is certain: these players would never want to face Messi alone. Only a well-coordinated and effective defensive line can help Real Madrid successfully neutralize Messi.

According to Bongdaplus - National Team