All you need to know about the 2018 UEFA Super Cup
Monday, August 13, 2018
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Real Madrid will take on Atlético in Tallinn, Estonia, on Wednesday.
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Who are the sides?
The traditional curtain-raiser for the UEFA club competition season brings together UEFA Champions League holders Real Madrid and UEFA Europa League winners Atlético. It is the first time in 43 editions that both sides have come from the same city.
When and where does it take place?
The match takes place at the Lilleküla Stadium in Tallinn on Wednesday 15 August, kicking off at 21:00CET (22:00 local time). The Estonian capital follows in the footsteps of Prague (2013), Cardiff (2014), Tbilisi (2015), Trondheim (2016) and Skopje (2017) as cities to be awarded the UEFA Super Cup since the fixture switched from its long-term home of Monaco.
What about tickets?
The ticket application window opened on 5 June and closed on 26 June at 14:00CET. Sales are not conducted on a first-come, first-served basis — so applications made at any time while the portal is open have an equal chance of being successful. Applicants could apply for up to four tickets each and will be notified via email by 6 July if they have been successful or not.
Who is the referee?
Polish referee Szymon Marciniak will officiate the game. Marciniak has refereed at the 2018 FIFA World Cup and UEFA EURO 2016, as well as in major European club matches. He was the fourth official for last season's UEFA Europa League final in Lyon, as well as the 2016 UEFA Super Cup in Trondheim. In 2015, he officiated the UEFA European Under-21 Championship final between Sweden and Portugal.
What is the UEFA Super Cup?
An annual match contested by the reigning champions of the two main European club competitions, devised by Dutch reporter Anton Witkamp to decide definitively the top club side in Europe. The European Cup/UEFA Champions League holders have always been involved, facing the holders of the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup victors (1972–1999) or UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League (2000–).
Do the European champions usually win?
Not really. The European Cup/UEFA Champions League holders have won 23 of the 42 editions. Get a full rundown of the UEFA Super Cup records and statistics here.
Give me some facts ...
• This will be the fourth time in the last five editions that the UEFA Super Cup will be contested by two Spanish sides, but an all-Madrid final – and indeed a one-city UEFA Super Cup – is a first.
• Atlético have met Real Madrid nine times in UEFA competition with the record W2 D2 L5, though they have yet to beat their city rivals in a final or to eliminate them from a UEFA competition
• Real Madrid have won four of their six UEFA Super Cup games – including the most recent two. Having become the first side to win the UEFA Champions League in three consecutive seasons, they could become the first club to win three UEFA Super Cups in a row.
• Atlético have a 100% record in the UEFA Super Cup, winning the 2010 and 2012 editions as UEFA Europa League holders. They overcame Inter Milan 2-0 in 2010 and Chelsea 4-1 in 2012.