RIYADH — Sergi Roberto, the captain of Barcelona, is hoping to replicate his team's success from last season in the upcoming Spanish Super Cup final in Riyadh, where they face Real Madrid. Barcelona's victory in last year's final at Riyadh was followed by a triumphant La Liga season, where they finished 10 points ahead of Real Madrid. With Real Madrid currently leading La Liga and Barcelona in third place, seven points behind, Roberto sees the Spanish Super Cup 2024 El Clasico final as a potential catalyst for another successful campaign. The final is scheduled for Sunday at 10 p.m. at Al Awwal Park in Riyadh. At the pre-final press conference, Roberto emphasized the significance of the El Clasico, particularly when it's a final. "Our goal is to repeat last season's success. Winning the cup will be a huge motivator to compete for more championships," he stated. Roberto acknowledged the importance of victory, whether it comes with an outstanding performance or not, underscoring the primary goal of winning the final. Roberto, 31, a versatile player who has spent his entire career at Barcelona, played a key role in the midfield in the semi-final victory over CA Osasuna. As the longest-serving member and captain of Xavi Hernandez's squad, he expressed his special attachment to leading Barcelona to victory over Real Madrid. Reflecting on the previous El Clasico in Barcelona, where Real Madrid won 2-1 thanks to a double from Jude Bellingham, Roberto highlighted the importance of playing well for the full 90 minutes to ensure a repeat of last year's Super Cup triumph. "We need to control the ball and play our usual style. The midfield formation will be decided by the coach, but our focus is to play a match worthy of Barca and win the championship," he said. The final concludes the fourth time the Spanish Super Cup has been hosted in Saudi Arabia. Last year, Barcelona's victory over Real Madrid featured goals from Gavi, Lewandowski, and Pedri, with a late goal from Karim Benzema, who now plays for Al Ittihad in Jeddah. The previous finals in Saudi Arabia saw Real Madrid's victories over Atletico Madrid and Athletic Bilbao. Roberto and his team are looking forward to replicating their previous success in Riyadh and gaining momentum for the remainder of the season.
