The unofficial curtain raiser for the Spanish season will kick off tonight as Real Madrid will face off against Sevilla in the UEFA Super Cup. Zinedine Zidane has only made one notable signing this summer with Alvaro Morata coming in.
The club were in competition with Manchester United for Frenchman Paul Pogba but eventually lost out. Many of the biggest stars will not be on show during today’s games either due to injury or an extended break after the Euros.
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But Los Blancos still have a very decent squad who will be facing off against Sevilla in today's match. Zidane has been quick to dismiss the notion that they are favourites for the match saying the clubs are currently on level playing ground.
He spoke about his absentees and the upcoming fixture during his pre-match press conference. “Madrid are not the favourites as both teams will want to win. My concern is that we are ready for the game and I believe we are”
Bale and Kroos are back in training but will most likely not feature considering they only returned a few days back. Ronaldo and Pepe will only arrive at the Bernabeu tomorrow, which leaves Karim Benzema.
The French striker was left out of the Euro squad by Didier Deschamps, but is still a doubt for the game. "He's fine despite not having played in recent games. We won't take any risks but the important thing is that he's here with the group and is working hard."
He also said how the club would cope without the BBC against their opposition today. “That doesn't worry me, they played in the final stages of Euro 2016 and need a break after a demanding season.”
“Of course, it would be great to have the complete squad here but I'd prefer that Bale and Kroos carry on with their particular preparation in Madrid. I'm happy to be here with the new season campaign about to get under way.”
Sevilla also lost a big personality this summer as Unai Emery decided to join Paris Saint-Germain as their new coach. But they have hired an equally adept manager in Jorge Sampaoli.
Emery led the Spanish team to three successive Europa league trophies, the first time any team has achieved that feat. Sampaoli has big boots to fill but his successful spell with the Chile national team has hopefully prepared him well enough for his new role.
