In the semi-finals of the Spanish Super Cup, Barcelona will square off against Real Betis at the King Fahd International Stadium in Saudi Arabia on Thursday.
With Barcelona currently sitting at the top of La Liga, Xavi’s squad narrowly advanced to the Copa del Rey round of 16 after a last-minute goal from Ansu Fati in their 4-3 match against Intercity.
On the other hand, Real Betis has been on a four-game unbeaten streak since the World Cup and secured a 2-1 victory over Rayo Vallecano on Sunday, which propelled them to fourth place in the Liga standings.
Real Betis will be without right-back Youssouf Sabaly due to an ankle injury and Paul Akouokou with a muscle problem.
However, Manuel Pellegrini plans to field a strong lineup featuring Guido Rodriguez and Rodri, who were both on the bench during the match against Rayo Vallecano. Juan Miranda will fill in for Alex Moreno, who recently transferred to Aston Villa.
Barcelona will be without Ferran Torres who is suspended due to a red card against Atletico Madrid. Robert Lewandowski and Jordi Alba will return to the squad after serving their bans, with Lewandowski expected to start up front and Alba taking the place of Alejandro Balde at left-back.
The back four will likely consist of Andreas Christensen, Ronald Araujo, Jules Kounde, and Alba. Ousmane Dembele may take Ansu Fati’s spot in attack, and Pedri will return to the midfield as Gavi moves to the bench.
Live updates and results for the match can be found on the Sofascore app, which is available for iPhone and iPad, Android, and Windows. The app can be found in all stores and is available in multiple languages as “Sofascore.”
