Real Madrid are aiming to retain their Spanish Supercopa crown when they take on Valencia on Wednesday evening. The club won the competition last year, defeating Athletic Club 2-0 in the final.
They face Los Che in the semi final stage, as will face the winner of Real Betis and Barcelona in the final should they progress against Gennaro Gattuso’s side. However, they come into the match on the back of a defeat against Villarreal in La Liga on Saturday.
The tournament will once again take place in Riyadh. The decision to host the Supercopa in Saudi Arabia has been met with plenty of criticism, which RFEF president Luis Rubiales have previously hit back at. Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois gave his thoughts on the matter, in which he stated that he is looking forward to playing in the Middle East, as per Relevo.
“For us it is a pleasure to come to Saudi Arabia. We feel welcome. We have a lot of fans. For us it’s like playing at home. Real Madrid is a club from all over the world. It’s nice to be able to come and be around fans who can’t always come.”
Courtois is keen for Los Blancos to bounce back following the disappointing result against Villarreal, but realises that it will be tricky against a tough opponent.
“(Valencia are) a difficult team. They have a coach who supports a lot from the dugout. It will be an intense match for us.”
