FC Barcelona and Real Madrid are now set to lock horns in the Spanish Super Cup final. The Catalan giants and Los Blancos both arrived in Saudi Arabia with the intent of winning the cup, and that is exactly what they are both on course to do. However, only one can emerge victorious on Sunday, and Barcelona will be hoping it’s them.
In fact, both Xavi Hernandez and Carlo Ancelloti have a lot at stake heading into this game. While as a collective unit, both Real Madrid and Barcelona have the desire to always win any Clasico, there are also individual statistics at stake for both coaches.
Since Xavi’s arrival at Barcelona as a head coach, as highlighted by Mundo Deportivo, both the coaches have been almost neck and neck in terms of their record against one another. While this reflects well on the competition between the two rivals, it also shows great tactical awareness.
Ancelloti remains one of Europe’s most elite and decorated managers, whereas Xavi is a mere newcomer. Still, despite that difference in experience, their head-to-head record is nearly identical. Across their 8 encounters against one another, they have both won 4 each.
Moreover, across those 8 encounters, 28 goals in total have been scored. 14 of those have been scored by Xavi’s Barcelona while the other 14 have been scored by Ancelloti’s Real Madrid. Rather coincidentally, their first encounter ever was in the Spanish Super Cup as well, all the way back in 2022.
That win went towards the way of Real Madrid with a 3-2 scoreline. However, Xavi would make things even in dramatic fashion as Barcelona thrashed Los Blancos 4-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu afterwards. Then, in the 2022/23 season, the two sides met on 5 different occasions.
The first victory went to Real Madrid in La Liga, with a score of 3-1. However, the very next was a Spanish Super Cup final victory for Xavi’s Barcelona, also with a 3-1 scoreline. Then came the Copa Del Ray semi-finals, with the first leg going towards Barcelona (1-0), and the second leg being won by Real Madrid (4-0).
Now, in the ongoing 2023/24 campaign, there has been only one encounter in La Liga. That was won by Real Madrid with a 1-0 scoreline at the Montjuic Stadium. However, both coaches will now have a chance to turn the scale in their favor as they compete for their latest title.
