Zinedine Zidane’s Real Madrid and Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United meet in the UEFA Super Cup at the Philip II Arena in Skopje this Tuesday evening. Real will be making their sixth Super Cup appearance after retaining the UEFA Champions League last year. Meanwhile, this will be United’s fourth Super Cup final.
The Red Devils booked their place in this showpiece event by beating Ajax in the UEFA Europa League final in Sweden in May. However, they head to Macedonia as the underdogs in this one. They may be a little further along with the pre-season preparation, with the Premier League kicking off at the weekend following this, but even so, Zidane’s Galacticos are the favourites.
About the UEFA Super Cup
The 2017 Super Cup will be the 42nd annual final between the Champions League and Europa League winners. Barcelona are the most successful side in this competition, having won the trophy five times and been losing finalists on four occasions. Liverpool are the most successful English team, with three wins to their name. Meanwhile, Real Madrid have won the Super Cup three times, compared to Manchester United’s one triumph, that coming more than 25 years ago.
Real Madrid v Manchester United
After being so dominant in Europe in recent times, Real are worthy favourites to lift this trophy on Tuesday. Besides, they have already won the Super Cup twice in the last three years. As for United, their only Super Cup win came in 1991, when a Brian McClair goal was enough to see off Red Star Belgrade at Old Trafford.
Both teams go into the new season full of optimism. Real, who lifted their first La Liga title since 2012 last year, will be looking to fend off the challenge from rivals Barcelona for their championship. However, Neymar’s recent departure to Paris Saint-Germain could give Zidane’s troops the edge in the domestic battle.
As for the Red Devils, they will be hoping to make a much better fist of things in the Premier League this time around, having finished in a lowly sixth position last year. Mourinho did guide the Manchester club to three trophies in his first season in charge, though, as they won the FA Community Shield, EFL Cup and Europa League.
With the pair expected to have big seasons domestically and in Europe this year, Tuesday’s match is a tough one to call. Los Blancos are always dangerous, even with key men missing and full match sharpness some way off. Meanwhile, Romelu Lukaku will be eager to make an instant impression for United. A goal against the Champions League holders would certainly be a fine argument against the theory he is a flat track bully!
With that said, we think it’s a given that both sides will be on the scoresheet in Skopje, but we believe United have what it takes to come out on top. With that in mind, the standout bet in this one is Man Utd to win and both teams to score, which is generously priced at chunky odds of 6/1 with Sky Bet.
Manchester United to Win and Both Teams to Score – 6/1 at Sky Bet