Clasico clash for the first crown tonight

The first Clasico of the year, a chance to lift the season’s first trophy, and a battle of ego and revenge -- the Spanish Super Cup final between Real Madrid and Barcelona at the King Abdullah Sport City Stadium in Jeddah on Monday (1:00 am Bangladesh time) already has plenty at stake, alongside the usual hype that accompanies this historic rivalry.

** This will be the fourth consecutive time that Real Madrid and Barcelona face off in the final of the competition.

** The two sides have met 18 times in the Spanish Super Cup, with Real winning 10 matches, Barca claiming six victories, and two ending in draws.

** After a tumultuous period near the end of 2025 that left Real coach Xabi Alonso on the brink of the sack, Los Blancos have turned things around with five consecutive victories, the latest a 2-1 win over city rivals Atletico Madrid in the semifinals.

** A win in the final would hand Xabi Alonso his first trophy as Real coach and provide him some breathing room.

** Xabi’s Real won the first Clasico of the season with a 2-1 LaLiga victory last year. But before his arrival, the side were hammered 5-2 at the same stage last season, also at the same venue in Jeddah.

** Real will be boosted by the return of Kylian Mbappe, who missed the semifinal due to a knee sprain suffered in late December, although Xabi said he would be cautious about including the club’s top scorer, who has 29 goals in 24 matches across all competitions this season.

** In each of the last three seasons, the Super Cup winners also went on to win LaLiga.

** The final offers Barcelona added incentive, as they have the chance to retain the title for a second consecutive year -- something no side has managed in the past 15 years.

** Should Barcelona lift the trophy, the Blaugrana would also end another notable trend, as it has been eight years since the reigning league champions went on to win the Super Cup the following season.