Real Madrid lock horns with city rivals Atletico Madrid in Tallinn on Wednesday as the Spanish giants fight it out for the right to get their hands on the UEFA Super Cup.
It marks the official beginning of a new era for Los Blancos as Julen Lopetegui takes charge of his first competitive game since taking over from Zinedine Zidane and the former Spain boss will be eager to get off on the right foot by securing some silverware.
The competition has been dominated by Spanish clubs over the course of the last decade, with Champions League holders Real winning three of the last four editions, while Atletico triumphed in 2010 and 2012.
Real arguably hold the bragging rights over Atletico having defeated them in the 2014 and 2016 Champions League finals, so Diego Simeone's men are out to prove a point.
| Game | Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid |
| Date | Wednesday, August 15 |
| Time | 8pm BST / 3pm ET |
TV Channel, Live Stream & How To Watch
In the United States (US) the game will be be shown live on television on TNT USA and Univision. It can also be streamed live online via Watch TNT or B/R Live.
| US TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| TNT USA / Univision | Watch TNT / B/R Live |
In the United Kingdom (UK), the game is being broadcast live on television on BT Sport 2 and it can be streamed live online using the BT Sport app.
| UK TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| BT Sport 2 | BT Sport app |
Squads & Team News
| Position | Real Madrid squad |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Navas, Casilla, Luca, Lunin, Courtois |
| Defenders | Carvajal, Vallejo, Ramos, Marcelo, Nacho, Varane, Odriozola, Reguilon, Sanchez, Lopez |
| Midfielders | Kroos, Modric, Casemiro, Llorente, Asensio, Isco, Ceballos, Valverde |
| Forwards | Benzema, Bale, Vazquez, Mayoral, Raul de Tomas, Vinicius Jr. |
New signing Thibaut Courtois is left out of the squad as Keylor Navas keeps his place on goal, while fellow new signing Alvaro Odriozola has been ruled out. Vinicius Jr. could be in line to make his competitive debut, though, after being included on the bench.
Luka Modric has also been named on the bench, amid speculation he could join Inter before the transfer window closes. Of course, for the first time in nine years there will be no Cristiano Ronaldo in Real's ranks.
Real Madrid XI: Navas; Carvajal, Varane, Ramos, Marcelo; Casemiro, Kroos, Asensio; Bale, Isco, Benzema.
| Position | Atletico Madrid squad |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Adan, Oblak, Alex |
| Defenders | Godin, Luis, Arias, Savic, Juanfran, Hernandez, Gimenez |
| Midfielders | Thomas, Koke, Saul, Lemar, Vitolo, Correa, Olabe |
| Forwards | Rodrigo, Gelson, Griezmann, Kalinic, Costa |
Diego Simeone has a full squad available and the game sees new signing Thomas Lemar make his debut, while Nikola Kalinic is on the bench.
Atletico Madrid XI: Oblak; Juanfran, Savic, Godin, Hernandez; Saul, Koke, Rodrigo, Lemar; Griezmann, Costa.
Betting & Match Odds
Real Madrid are favourites to win the Super Cup, with dabblebet offering odds of 13/10 on a Los Blancos victory. Atletico are 11/5 to win and a draw in the game is a 23/10 bet.
Match Preview
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While essentially ceremonial in nature and serving as a proverbial curtain-raiser for the season, the UEFA Super Cup will have an added bite to it in 2018 as city rivals Real and Atletico face off.
The derby is baptism of fire for Lopetegui and it will give a good indication on where Los Blancos are at as they embark on life after Ronaldo and Zidane, who set the bar incredibly high at the Santiago Bernabeu.
The departure of Ronaldo has left the squad with a decidedly different complexion and, with Modric potentially following the Portuguese out of the club to Serie A, things are far from ideal for the new coach. However, he is not shying away from the challenge.
"Zizou did an extraordinary job and got incredible titles," Lopetegui told a news conference. "But this is the past, now we are focused to keep on getting them, keep making history and we have to try to be better and better in all aspects.
"And we'll try to do it, and don't look back. We have to look forward with confidence and work."
For Atletico, on the other hand, the game presents a golden opportunity to lay down a marker for the season ahead and a win would do wonders for the squad's confidence as they attempt to build on last season's success, which saw them finish second in La Liga and win the Europa League.
Antoine Griezmann's commitment to the team despite interest from Barcelona during the transfer was a major boost and the addition of Thomas Lemar to the lineup means that, unlike Real, Atleti have only been augmented.
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