Over the course of the last four decades, the winner of Europe's two top championships from the year before square off in the UEFA Super Cup. This match isn't met with nearly as much fanfare as the Europa League or the Champions League, but it's one last chance for two really good teams to get a nice tune-up in to kick off the season. Real Madrid, the defending champion of the Super Cup, will get a shot to defend its title as the Champions League winner against Europa League holder, Manchester United.
Don't miss the UEFA Super Cup Final from Philip II Arena at 2:45 p.m. ET on Tuesday, August 8, 2017. Catch every moment of the match live on FOX Sports 1.
Opening Soccer Odds at BookMaker.eu
Real Madrid -110
Manchester United +300
Draw +225
Over/Under 2.5
Odds Analysis
Real Madrid didn't have a great trip to the United States for the International Cup of Champions. That said, the team is still ridiculously talented and should be considered the biggest threat to win the Champions League once again. It shouldn't be all that surprising that Los Blancos are the -110 favorites to win the Super Cup inside of 90 minutes against the men from Old Trafford.
Real is a -250 favorite to ultimately hoist the trophy in Macedonia.
Key Injuries
Manchester United already has its injuries to deal with at the start of the season. Luke Shaw and Marcos Rojo are both injured for this affair, while both Phil Jones and Eric Bailly will be out of the defensive formation due to suspension.
Real Madrid has its own problems to deal with. Gareth Bale is dealing with an ankle injury and may not be risked, particularly if he does end up on the move to Chelsea as reports suggest. Los Blancos are making a run at Kylian Mbappe, and they'd need to make a corresponding move out to adhere to the FIFA fair play rules. Cristiano Ronaldo hasn't been seen for much of this preseason for Real Madrid, and it's anyone's guess at this point as to whether he's going to show up in Macedonia for Tuesday's Super Cup or not.
Recent Form
Real Madrid didn't have a great trip around the United States in July. The club was beaten in penalties by Manchester United in a 1-1 affair that Jose Mourinho's men decisively deserved. That was followed by a 4-1 loss against Manchester City and a 3-2 defeat to Barcelona in the Miami edition of El Clasico. Real did win the MLS All-Star Game, but it took penalties for that to happen. Needless to say, that's not what Zinedine Zidane dialed up for the preseason, and he certainly hopes for better starting on Tuesday night.
Man U has been pretty good in club friendlies of late. The team took out Sampdoria and Valerenga in the preseason, and that came on the heels of a relatively success ICC by beating Man City 2-0 and being the better side against Real Madrid. The Red Devils also won friendlies against LA and Real Salt Lake before the ICC kicked off.
Free Soccer Betting Pick
This is the best chance United will have to showcase all the new pieces to the puzzle. There has been much talk that Romelu Lukaku isn't going to fit as the front man in Mourinho's lineup, but this is a good match for him to showcase that he's a piece to the puzzle that cannot be denied.
With as poorly as Real Madrid has started, why should we think it can win the Super Cup? Sure, it's the deserving favorite, but the better price clearly lies with Manchester United. This could end up being a tremendous offensive showcase.
UEFA Super Cup Odds: Manchester United 3, Real Madrid 2
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