Bale, Benzema out of Spanish Super Cup because of injuries

By: The Associated Press Posted: 1:33 PM CST Monday, Jan. 6, 2020

MADRID - Real Madrid will be without Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema for the Spanish Super Cup this week.

Read this article for free:

or

Already have an account? Log in here »

To continue reading, please subscribe:

*First annual payment billed as $205.00 + GST for one year. This annual subscription will automatically renew at $233.00 + GST every 52 weeks (10% off the regular annual price of $259.35). Offer available to new and qualified returning subscribers only. Cancel any time.

MADRID - Real Madrid will be without Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema for the Spanish Super Cup this week.

Read unlimited articles for free today:

or

Already have an account? Log in here »

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 06/01/2020 (2462 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

MADRID – Real Madrid will be without Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema for the Spanish Super Cup this week.

The forwards will not make the trip to Saudi Arabia for the tournament that will debut a semifinals format.

Madrid plays Valencia in the first semifinal on Wednesday, then Barcelona takes on Atlético Madrid on Thursday. The final will be on Sunday.

Real Madrid's Karim Benzema reacts after failing a scoring chance during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Athletic Bilbao at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, Spain, Sunday Dec. 22, 2019. (AP Photo/Paul White)

Benzema, Madrid’s leading scorer with 16 goals in all competitions, has a left hamstring injury, while Bale has what the club called “an infection in the upper respiratory tract.” The club did not elaborate.

Also, Eden Hazard still has an injured ankle from last year.

Vinícius Júnior, Rodrygo, and Lucas Vázquez will be among the forwards available.

The Spanish Super Cup used to be played in a single-game format at the beginning of the season, when the Spanish champion took on the Copa del Rey winner. Now, the top two teams in each competition participate.

The Spanish Super Cup was also played abroad last season, when Barcelona beat Sevilla in Tangiers, Morocco.

All the matches this week are at King Abdullah Sports City stadium, outside Jeddah.

The Spanish soccer federation’s decision to play the Super Cup in Saudi Arabia has been criticized by human rights activists, and went against advice from UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin for European soccer teams not to play in countries “where the basic rights of women are not respected.”

The Spanish federation cited its ambitions to host the 2030 World Cup as a factor in giving Saudi Arabia the lucrative three-year deal.

___

More AP soccer https://apnews.com/Soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports