The new year starts with a bang as Barcelona take on old rivals Real Madrid in the first leg of the Spanish Super Cup semi-final, which kicks off on Wednesday, January 12 at the King Fahd Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. 

True, both teams arrive to this game with mixed fortunes – however, El Clásico goes beyond form or fortune, so expect a tightly-fought game between the two rivals. Whoever goes through the semi-final will battle it out with the winner from the other semi-final, which sees Athletic Bilbao take on Atletico Madrid. 

Barcelona have had a mixed season so far, with former Barca midfield maestro Xavi Hernandez replacing coach Ronald Koeman, sacked after a poor run of form. Hernandez did improve Barca’s play, and results. However, so far, this season, the Blaugrana have come up short against top opposition – just consider the defeats against Benfica, Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich. 

Moreover, they are currently fifth in the La Liga, and have not made it through to the final round of 16 of the Champions League – entering instead, in the UEFA Europa League knockout play-offs. 

On the other hand, under the leadership of veteran coach Carlo Ancelotti, Real Madrid have been playing some great football – and the results show, with the Los Blancos top of the La Liga standings and through to the final 16 of the Champions League. They have the best attack in the league, with 41 goals scored, and one of the best defences, with just 17 goals suffered. 

That said, Real Madrid had a surprise defeat against Getafe in their first game of the new year – so that must have chipped at their confidence. Barcelona, on the other hand, narrowly defeated Mallorca one-nil in their first domestic game of 2022. 

Real Madrid should have the better of Barcelona. In fact, Meridianbet has a Real Madrid victory at 2.15, a Barcelona victory at 3.26 – while a draw is at 3.61. To add further excitement to the game, Meridianbet is giving players the chance to get back 10 per cent of all tickets every week. Every Monday, through this Cashback Bonus, Meridianbet will reward players with money back from the previous week – 10 per cent up to €100. To register for this exciting new offer, click here. 

Disclaimer: Meridianbet is licensed by the MGA. Licence number MGA/B2C/134/2007. Play responsibly. For help visit www.rgf.org.mt. Players must be over 18.

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