Prediction: Real Madrid vs Sevilla

Verdict: Both teams to score

Best Odds: 8/15

Bookmaker: William Hill

For the second time in three years, Real Madrid and Sevilla will contest an all-Spanish UEFA Super Cup match, with los Blancos winning the tie 2-0 two years ago in Cardiff. Los Rojiblancos now aim to get revenge on their league rivals for said defeat, and their job has been made easier by the absence of Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Real Madrid

Real Madrid did not exactly impress on domestic stage last term, missing out on both trophies, but they more than made up for it by lifting the Champions League trophy. Once again, they defeated local rivals Atletico Madrid in the final, this time on penalties, and with his team winning Europe’s elite competition, Zinedine Zidane had no reason to make major changes this summer. The Frenchman did activate the buy-back clause for Alvaro Morata, who acted as the first choice striker during pre-season, and despite failing to score a single goal in the process, the Spaniard has proved he will be a welcoming addition to the squad. The league campaign in Spain does not start for another two weeks, but Real Madrid will want to start to the new season by lifting yet another UEFA Super Cup trophy, although that is not going to be an easy task given the circumstances. Namely, Sevilla have no reason to fear the usually lethal BBC trio due to the fact that Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale will not be risked, while Karim Benzema has yet to make his first appearance after recovering from injury. This means that Alvaro Morata is likely to continue up front.

Team News

Keylor Navas and Fabio Coentrao continue to miss out through injury, while Gareth Bale, Toni Kroos and Cristiano Ronaldo will not be in the squad either.

Sevilla

Sevilla have been one of Europe’s in-form teams in recent years, winning three successive Europa League trophies, and they are now hoping to leave their mark in the Champions League as well. The UEFA Super Cup clash against CL holders Real Madrid will show los Rojiblancos what awaits them this term if they reach the final stages of the competition, and there are no doubts they will give their best on Tuesday evening in Trondheim. As that usually happens, Sevilla have undergone major changes this summer, with long-serving coach Unai Emery taking over the reigns at PSG and Copa America winner Jorge Sampaoli brought to replace him. Arguably the world’s most successful transfer guru Monchi has once again secured some excellent deals for the club, cashing in on Kevin Gameiro, Grzegorz Krychowiak, Coke and Ciro Immobile, while signing Hiroshi Kiyotake, Pablo Sarabia, Matias Kranevitter, Joaquin Correa, Franco Vazquez, Ganso, Luciano Vietto, Wisam Ben Yedder and Gabriel Mercado. With so many new players arriving in a short period of time, the Chilean coach will have his work cut out for him, although los Rojiblancos have so far looked pretty good in pre-season.

Team News

Jorge Sampaoli will have nearly fully fit squad to select from for the Real Madrid clash, with only Benoit Tremoulinas missing through injury.

All summer recruits are fit to play, but Sebastian Cristoforo and Juan Munoz have been left out of the 22-man squad for the game in Trondheim.

Conclusion

Even with the likes of Ronaldo and Bale missing, Real Madrid will be hoping to dominate the proceedings from the off, with Alvaro Morata especially eager to impress. Meanwhile, Sevilla again have plenty of quality up front and are not afraid to show it, so we fully expect yet another entertaining UEFA Super Cup match involving Spanish sides.

Verdict: Both teams to score

Best Odds: 8/15

Bookmaker: William Hill