Expect Barca and Madrid to serve up goals aplenty in Super Cup

Strap yourselves in, folks: the Barcelona versus Real Madrid show is back.

The Spanish domestic season may only be a week old, but the first meeting of the big two takes place on Thursday in the first leg of the Super Cup and like any ‘el clasico’, despite the ill-feeling that often boils over, you just won’t be able to take your eyes off the action.

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Familiarity has bred (even more) contempt between these two great rivals and Thursday’s meeting is the 17th time Barca and Madrid have faced each other since the start of the 2008/09 season: a significant date, as that was the beginning of Pep Guardiola’s phenomenally successful stint as manager at the Camp Nou.

Of course, after deciding to take a sabbatical, claiming he had no more to give such a demanding job, Guardiola is no longer the boss at Barca and all the intrigue this season will be about how his replacement, former assistant Tito Vilanova, will go about the task of succeeding the man who won 14 major trophies during his tenure.

The sheer talent at Mourinho’s disposal is frightening (it makes you wonder why he needs Luka Modric) and the former Chelsea boss will surely fancy his chances of getting one over on the untried Vilanova, and I’m not talking about gouging him in the eye.

Vilanova has the biggest of shoes to fill, but he at least has a wonderful squad of players to call upon, all of whom he knows well, and the fact that Vilanova is well ingrained in the Barcalona ethos will stand him in good stead.

That continuity is going to be vital when his men come up against Madrid, who, lest we forget, are La Liga champions after a brilliant campaign during which Jose Mourinho’s side reached 100 points, scored the most goals and beat Barcelona in the Camp Nou to all but seal the title with four games to spare.

The sheer talent at Mourinho’s disposal is frightening (it makes you wonder why he needs Luka Modric) and the former Chelsea boss will surely fancy his chances of getting one over on the untried Vilanova, and I’m not talking about gouging him in the eye.

Mourinho takes his side into the cauldron to face Vilanova the manager for the first time as 17/4 outsiders, with Barca 7/10 favourites and the draw at 29/10, but the way to go about this one could well be on the goals market.

This is ‘el clasico’ and there is, after all, a trophy at stake. So to say that the match doesn’t matter is patently untrue, but the Super Cup is not the be all and end all of the season for these two, as both have much bigger prizes in their sights, no matter what the result over the course of two legs.

And I think those factors, alongside the fact it is early in the season and peak fitness has not yet been reached, means that the ultimate edge that defines these games will be missing. As such, goals are likely to come as a result.

Four of the last six meetings have seen at least four goals, and the 7/5 that there are over 3.5 goals again here makes plenty of appeal.

The attacking talent on display can’t be bettered anywhere else in the world and I think the goal trend of recent matches is set to continue.

Recommended bet: Over 3.5 goals in Barcelona v Real Madrid @ 7/5

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