On August 16, the second leg of the 2017 Spanish Super Cup will take place between Real Madrid and Barcelona. Barcelona, led by Lionel Messi, will look to rally after losing the first leg of the final 3-1 on their home turf at Camp Nou last Sunday. However, doing so will not be easy. If Barcelona hopes to lift the trophy for the second consecutive year, it will have to travel to Real Madrid’s home turf and play a relatively perfect game.
Barcelona looked extremely overwhelmed by Real Madrid’s counter attacks in the first leg and gave up two phenomenal goals to Cristiano Ronaldo and Marco Asensio in addition to an own goal in the 50th minute. In addition to the questionable defending, Barcelona looked extremely uncomfortable in the offensive end. With Neymar, one of their best scorers and playmakers, joining PSG in exchange for a record 222 million euros, Barcelona’s offense now solely relies on Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez. Neymar was the one who used tremendous skills on the wing in order to create extra space for Messi and Suarez to operate. However, with Neymar gone, Real Madrid can now focus its defense entirely on Messi and Suarez which will make it extremely difficult for Barcelona to score on a regular basis.
In addition to the loss of a great player, Barcelona also has to deal with a very hostile environment and overcome a two goal difference on the goal aggregate. To make matters worse, Real Madrid scored three goals on the road which means that Barcelona will have to score at least three goals at Real Madrid’s home stadium in order to have a chance at winning the title. If Barcelona only wins by a score of 2-0, then it will lose on the away goal tiebreaker and Real Madrid will become the new champion even though the goal aggregate would be tied at three apiece. I expect Barcelona to apply heavy pressure for the entire game and go “ultra-attacking” in the hopes of generating enough scoring chances to pull off this monumental comeback.
On Sunday, Real Madrid continued to look like the best team in the world. After winning the Champions League for the second straight year, Real Madrid has continued to dominate its opponents including longtime rival Barcelona. Real Madrid used Barcelona’s aggressiveness against them and scored multiple goals via counter-attacks despite only possessing the ball for 40% of the match. Real Madrid looked practically unbeatable on Sunday and will look to become Spanish Super League champions for the first time since 2012. However, Real Madrid will be without its best player, Cristiano Ronaldo, for the second leg after he received a red card in the 82nd minute on Sunday. CR7 is, arguably, the best player in the world and it is truly a huge loss for Real Madrid. However, Real Madrid is already up two goals on aggregate so it still has a great chance to win the championship despite being without its best player.
Personally, I see Barcelona winning the second leg by a score of 2-1. I think that Barcelona’s aggressiveness will initially cause Real Madrid some issues. However, I expect Real Madrid to play extremely defensive in order to preserve its two goal lead on aggregate. Real Madrid knows that it does not need to win the second leg in order to win the cup. Therefore, I expect Real Madrid to focus on limiting Barcelona’s scoring chances and Real Madrid will become the Spanish Super Cup champions as a result.
Barcelona vs. Real Madrid Viewing Details
Date: Wednesday, August 16, 2017
Time: 5:00 PM EST
TV Channel: ESPN
Live Stream: WatchESPN
Location: Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in Madrid, Spain
How To Watch Barcelona vs. Real Madrid Live Stream Online
You can live stream the Spanish Super Cup match between Barca vs. Real Madrid on the WatchESPN website and/or app. It is free but you will need to log in with your cable provider information.
If you don’t have access to a cable or satellite log-in, you can watch the game through Sling TV. Sling TV is service that allows subscribers to watch live and on-demand TV channels on TVs, computer or mobile device for a monthly fee. It’s just like a cable or satellite TV service, except it’s delivered over the internet. The service’s Blue package costs $25 a month, but you can sign up for a free seven-day trial. If you cancel your subscription within a week, you will not be charged. Once signed up, simply download the app for your computer to start watching.
How To Watch Barcelona vs. Real Madrid Live Stream On Mobile
United States: You can live stream the Barcelona vs. Real Madrid Spanish Super Cup on your mobile device by using the WatchESPN app (iTunes Store | Google Play Store | Amazon Store | Windows). You’ll need a cable subscription like you would while watching it on your desktop.
