Overview
Barcelona hosts Atletico Madrid in the second leg of the Spanish Super Cup 2013. The game, which will take place in the early hours of Thursday morning, has last season's Copa del Rey winners (Atletico Madrid) against the La Liga champions (Barcelona). The Catalan club, having drawn the first leg 1-1 at the Vicente Calderon, holds a slight advantage by virtue of away goals.
Where to Watch Live:
Kick-off is at 2:30am IST (Thursday, 29 August) and live coverage will be available on Ten Action.
First-Leg:
Barcelona were able to secure a 1-1 draw in the first leg. Former Barcelona player David Villa opened the scoring for Madrid, only to be equalled by a Neymar header in the second half. Barcelona's away goal means that Atletico have to score at the Camp Nou to stand any chance of winning the trophy. A 0-0 draw in the second leg would make Barcelona the winners while a 2-2 draw would do the same for Atletico.
Team News:
Barcelona will enter the game with several injury concerns. In defence, full back Adriano is out with a hamstring injury and centre back Carlos Puyol is yet to recover from a knee problem. As a result, Tata Martino is likely to pair Gerard Pique and Javier Mascherano in the centre of defence. Ibrahim Afellay and Isaac Cuenca will also be missing with thigh and knee injuries respectively.
The club's star and candidate for greatest ever player Lionel Messi is also doubtful for the game. The Argentine missed Barcelona's 1-0 victory against Malaga at the weekend following a thigh injury. Although he has returned to full training, it is unclear whether he will feature. If Messi does not play, Brazilian sensation Neymar is likely to take his place.
Atletico come into the game with a full squad. All eyes will be on David Villa as he plays his first game at the Camp Nou since leaving Barcelona in the summer. The Spain international will be keen to impress, once again, against his old club. Villa's strike partner Diego Costa has also been in good form of late. The Liverpool transfer target scored twice as Atletico convincingly beat Rayo Vallecano 5-0 at the weekend.
Possible Starting Line-Ups:
Barcelona: Victor Valdes, Dani Alves, Gerard Pique, Javier Mascherano, Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets, Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Lionel Messi/Neymar, Pedro
Atletico Madrid: Thibaut Courtois, Juanfran, Diego Godin, Joao Miranda, Filipe Luis, Thiago Mendes, Raul Garcia, Gabi, Arda Turan, Diego Costa, David Villa
