Champions League holders Real Madrid will be seeking their second consecutive UEFA Super Cup when they take on English giants Manchester United for the 2017 edition in Macedonia on Tuesday.

A string of losses, notably to arch-rivals Barcelona and United, in pre-season have got Real fans worried and it is a perfect chance for the club to make a statement against their former manager, Jose Mourinho.

Advertisement

The Special One, who left behind a fractured Los Blancos dressing room after his stint, will be looking to prove a point that he is still elite as is the club he is at. For United have severely underperformed in recent seasons and as they seek to establish themselves on the continent, a win at the Philip II Arena in Skopje will go a long way. 

Real Madrid 

The good news is that Cristiano Ronaldo is back in training but whether or not he is ready for a taxing encounter (pun intended) against his old club is another matter altogether. 

Zinedine Zidane has to find a way to motivate his unit, a difficult task admittedly, considering they have dominated European football for the past couple of seasons. 

Ronaldo is likely to start on the bench and in his stead, United target Gareth Bale will lead the charge for Los Blancos but it just might be Lucas Vazquez who steals the limelight for a change. The Real Academy graduate has always been on the fringes at the Santiago Bernabeu and the tie in Macedonia could be the making of his Real career. 

Their midfield has been found a little wanting at times in pre-season and will have to be on their toes if they are to nip United’s fast breaks in the bud. 
For Real are expected to dominate possession, but with the Red Devils having plenty of pace in attack, will have to be careful not to lose the ball in dangerous areas. 

Talking Corner: It's an official match like any other. It's the first one we're going to have and we all know how important it is-Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane (as per UEFA/Real Madrid)

Injury concerns: Cristiano Ronaldo (match fitness)

Suspension Alert: None

Manchester United

So far so good for United in pre-season. Six wins from seven, a derby triumph over Manchester City being a highlight, and the fact that they have no major injuries will have Mourinho purring with delight. 

However, suspensions to Phil Jones and Eric Bailly and the fact that Marcos Rojo and Luke Shaw are injured, complicates matters somewhat. 

Real may not be in the best of form right now, but the fact that they have won back-to-back Champions League titles is no joke and they have plenty of world-class players who can change the game in an instant. 

The focus will be on Victor Lindelof in defence, for the former Benfica man is an unknown quantity compared to fellow-summer signings Nemanja Matic and Romelu Lukaku. 

Lukaku has looked at ease in the Red Devils jersey so far, but a competitive tie against a top European side is a different matter altogether. And he will not get many chances, but will have to put away the few he does if United are to come away with the win. 

Talking Corner: We are motivated, we are working hard, we are concentrated and we are hopeful that we can achieve our goal of lifting the trophy in Macedonia-Manchester United right-back Antonio Valencia (as per www.manutd.com)

Injury concerns: Marcos Rojo (knee), Ashley Young (musclular problems), Luke Shaw (Ankle)

Suspension Alert: Eric Bailly, Phil Jones

Super Stat: The last time United beat Real in a competitive tie, was way back in 2003, a match that ended 4-3 in the Red Devils’ favour. Playing for Los Blancos that day was Zinedine Zidane, the current Real manager!