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Barca and Sevilla prepare for European Supercup in Georgia

Xinhua, August 10, 2015 Adjust font size:

Two Spanish sides, FC Barcelona and Sevilla will go head to head in the Georgian city of Tiblisi on Tuesday night to try and win the first title of the new season: the European Supercup.

Champions League winners, Barca will be favorites against Sevilla, who won last seasons' Europa League, but Barca will have to be wary of a side who are aiming to forget a disappointing display from last season when they were comfortably beaten by Real Madrid.

The European Supercup marks the start of a busy week for Barca, who face Athletic Club Bilbao in the first leg of the Spanish Supercup on Friday and the Catalan' s view Tuesday as the next step in their aim to match the incredible achievements from 2009 when the side, which was then coached by Pep Guardiola won all six titles (Spanish League, Cup, Champions League, Spanish and European Supercups and World Club Championship) that it is possible to win over a 12 month period.

Although Messi is back, fit and looking lean and hungrier than ever, Barca will be without striker Neymar, who will be out for the next 10 days with an attack of mumps, while Jordi Alba is out with a muscle injury that he picked up in pre-season.

Meanwhile, coach Luis Enrique will have to decide whether Ter Stegen or Claudio Bravo will get the nod in goal and striker Pedro Rodriguez will probably replace Neymar in Tiblisi, despite continued links with a move to Manchester United.

He will also have to work on his defense after a pre-season in which Barca shipped too many goals, although the return of Javier Mascherano could help remedy that.

Sevilla go into the game with the club looking to sign a striker to replace the departed Carlos Bacca after last season' s top scorer moved to AC Milan.

Their coach Unai Emery also has defensive problems with Nico Parejo out of action as well as Daniel Carrico and their last preparation match: a 1-1 draw in Athens showed they are still some way off their best, although should Jose Antonio Reyes have a good night in Georgia, that could all change. Endi