Real Madrid and Athletic Bilbao will both be aiming to return to winning ways when they lock horns in Thursday's Supercopa de Espana semi-final at La Rosaleda.
Barcelona lie in wait for the winners of this tie after they overcame Real Sociedad on penalties after a 1-1 draw in Wednesday's semi-final.
Real Madrid's La Liga showdown with Osasuna was given the go-ahead despite the widespread disruption caused by Storm Filomena, and the La Liga champions could not get back on their perch in freezing conditions at the El Sadar Stadium.
Despite enjoying 70% of the possession, Real Madrid could not find a way through and ultimately claimed a point from their trip to Osasuna, and the decision to play the match did not sit well with Blancos goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, who blasted the authorities for their decision not to postpone the game with Storm Filomena raging.
League leaders Atletico Madrid did see their match postponed, though, and Real Madrid would have usurped their local rivals in the table with a win, but that goalless stalemate ensures that Atletico remain one point clear of Zinedine Zidane's men with three games in hand.
However, that result saw Los Blancos extend their unbeaten run across all competitions to nine matches - with seven of those games ending in wins - and Zidane's men will be determined to retain their Supercopa de Espana crown after beating Atletico in last year's final in Saudi Arabia.
Only Barcelona (13) have won the competition more times than Real Madrid (11) since its inception, and Los Blancos will be making their 17th appearance in the Supercopa when they take to the field against a well-rested Athletic.
Athletic were due to take on table-toppers Atletico at the weekend, but a heavy snowstorm prevented the plane carrying Marcelino's men from landing safely in the Spanish capital and that game was indeed postponed.
As a result, Marcelino's wait for his first win as Athletic boss goes on after he oversaw a 3-2 defeat to Barcelona in his inaugural game in charge - a result which left Los Leones nine points adrift of the top six amid their inconsistent form.
0 Comments