Hot spots in the first leg of the Spanish Super Cup

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

Barca vs Real Madrid

Barca, the reigning Spanish Super Cup champions, will be looking for a home advantage before heading to the Santiago Bernabeu next midweek. Meanwhile, Real are keen to redeem themselves after a disappointing draw with Valencia in their opening La Liga game last weekend.

Barca players want to give Tito Vilanova his first title as a coach, while Madrid stars want to bring home their first Spanish Super Cup since 2008. The stars of both teams are ready for the Clasico clash, and here are the most promising hot spots 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 impressive and it's worth remembering that it continues to improve over time.

On the other hand, Alves is a real monster, capable of running up and down the right flank for 90 minutes without showing any signs of fatigue. Alves will have help to deal with Ronaldo, which as usual will probably be captain Carles Puyol. But in some cases, the Brazilian defender will definitely have to go one-on-one with the “CR7 destruction machine”.

Although not considered a defensive specialist, Alves with his cunning can still cause Ronaldo frustration. However, the Real player only needs a moment of carelessness to score the decisive score. On the other hand, Alves has the ability to support the attack very well, especially understanding Lionel Messi. Therefore, he is also a potential spearhead of Barca every time he attacks the ball.


Sergio Busquets vs Mesut Oezil

There was a time when Real coach Jose Mourinho did not trust Oezil in the starting lineup of El Clasico matches. But that is no longer the case after his latest impressive performances. Therefore, the important task of Barca's defensive midfielder Busquets is to neutralize this explosive player.

Neither of them are particularly quick, but they play with great heads and great feet. If Real are going to launch a counter-attack but don’t have enough players, Ozil can calmly play a great pass that puts his team-mate in a clear-cut position. For this reason, Ozil is not easy to stop, but that is what Busquets has to do.

Oezil's biggest drawback is his limited speed and stamina, which will put him at a disadvantage against Busquets in a long battle. At that time, the Barca midfielder will have space and time to free up his feet to organize attacks from his own half. Oezil, like Ronaldo, are both geniuses in attack but are ineffective in defense.

Jordi Alba vs Alvaro Arbeloa

The two Spanish internationals will face each other in a battle on Barca's left flank. Alba is a new signing for Barca and is very good at joining the attack. Therefore, he will often push forward to put pressure on Arbeloa with his great speed.

However, Arbeloa is also a solid, brave and experienced defender, as shown by his performance at EURO 2012. Unlike Alba, Arbeloa does not often advance because above him, Angel di Maria is almost unable to support the defense. Therefore, Arbeloa will only stay at home to block his defensive area.

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

Messi is of course always the most important player in every match he plays. The Argentine superstar will certainly feel more comfortable without Real Madrid’s Pepe. Pepe is not only a great defender but also has a lot of “heavy” tackles for Messi.

Pepe's replacement will almost certainly be Albiol, a good player but with few opportunities to play in the Real squad. Besides, Ramos is a skillful, strong defender of the world. But one thing is for sure, these players never want to face Messi alone. Only a well-coordinated, effective defense can help Real successfully block Messi.

According to Bongdaplus - DT