RIYADH: The Spanish Super Cup football tournament will kick off in Riyadh on Wednesday with the participation of Real Madrid, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, and Osasuna in matches at Al-Awwal Park Stadium.
Being held in Saudi Arabia for the fourth time, the competition, which runs until Jan. 14, will feature Wednesday evening’s heavyweight derby clash between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid.
Real Madrid, aiming to win the prestigious title for the third time in the Kingdom, are the current holders of Spanish football’s Copa del Rey.
Their city rivals, Atletico Madrid, are looking to seek to win the Spanish Super Cup title for the first time after participating in the previous edition held in early 2022 in Riyadh, where they were eliminated in the semifinals by Athletic Bilbao.
Real Madrid lead Spain’s La Liga on 48 points with Atletico Madrid 10 points behind, in fifth.
Barcelona and Osasuna will face off on Thursday with the Catalan club hoping to repeat last year’s victory when they defeated historic rival Real Madrid. Osasuna will be making their debut in Riyadh.
Barcelona currently sit third in La Liga with 41 points, while Osasuna, runner-up in the previous edition of the Copa del Rey, are 12th on 22 points.
Saudi Arabia hosts the tournament as part of its Quality of Life program. The event is one of Spain and Europe’s top football competitions, attracting fans and viewers from around the world.
Spanish Super Cup kicks off with Madrid derby in Riyadh on Wednesday
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Spanish Super Cup kicks off with Madrid derby in Riyadh on Wednesday
- Real Madrid aiming to win title for 3rd time in Kingdom
- Atletico Madrid after 1st trophy tournament victory following participation in 2022 edition in Saudi capital
Saudi Arabia edge Kyrgyzstan 1-0 in AFC U23 Asian Cup opener
- Al-Nassr’s Rakan Al-Ghamdi struck in the 88th minute as 2022 champions Saudi Arabia got off to a winning start
JEDDAH: Rakan Al-Ghamdi struck late as Saudi Arabia edged a plucky Kyrgyzstan 1-0 in their AFC U23 Asian Cup Group A opener on Tuesday.
Debutants Kyrgyzstan, reduced to 10 men in the 34th minute, looked on course for a point after goalkeeper Kurmanbek Nurlanbekov had saved Musab Al-Juwayr’s penalty but Al-Nassr’s Al-Ghamdi struck in the 88th minute as 2022 champions Saudi Arabia got off to a winning start.
Both sides went on the offensive from the start with Saudi Arabia’s Abdullah Radif sending his effort from outside the box high as early as the second minute, while Beknaz Almazbekov had his shot from distance blocked two minutes later.
The hosts began to assert their dominance before suffering a setback in the 13th minute when captain Abdullah Radif was subbed off due to injury with Majed Abdullah taking his place.
However, his absence failed to deter the 2022 champions’ resolve as they almost took the lead in the 15th minute after Abdullah pounced on a stray pass from Anton Polev, only to see his low drive from inside the box saved by Nurlanbekov.
The Central Asian side’s exuberance suffered a dent in the 34th minute when Arsen Sharshenbekov received his marching orders for stamping Abdulaziz Al-Elewai’s ankle, following a VAR review.
Saudi Arabia, however, failed to trouble Nurlanbekov despite the numerical advantage with Kyrgyzstan still very much in the game going into the break.
Nurlanbekov continued to frustrate Saudi Arabia in the second half with the FC Dordoi Bishkek keeper foiling Faris Al-Ghamdi from distance in the 48th minute.
Saudi Arabia almost found the opener just after the hour mark when Yaseen Al-Zubaidi and Abdulaziz Al-Elewai exchanged passes with the latter breaking into the box, only to see his shot from a difficult angle closed down by Nurlanbekov.
Spurred on by their passionate home support, Saudi Arabia’s pressure earned them a penalty in the 74th minute after Arslan Bekberdinov’s handball but Nurlanbekov judged correctly to deny Al-Juwayr from the spot with his outstretched right-handed save.
Saudi Arabia finally found a way through in the 88th minute after Al-Juwayr’s clever pass found Al-Ghamdi, who rifled his shot past Nurlanbekov to seal the victory.
Saudi Arabia will meet Jordan on Friday while Kyrgyzstan will aim to bounce back against Vietnam.
