Can Real Madrid Stop the Ponferrada Machine?
The Spanish Super Cup semi-final pits a struggling Real Madrid FC against a Ponferrada side that has already beaten them twice this season.
The last time Real Madrid FC faced Ponferrada, the Bercianos dismantled them 4-0 in the Champions League. Federico Rocchi scored twice before half-time, Fran Belmonte added two more, and the Bernabéu crowd sat in stunned silence. On 9 January, in the Spanish Super Cup semi-final, Madrid get another chance—or another beating.
Ponferrada have won both meetings this season: 1-0 in La Liga in September, 4-0 in Europe in November. They are the better side right now, and they know it. Their 4-2-3-1 has produced 1.5 points per game, while Madrid's 4-3-3 has managed just 1.14. The gap is real.
Madrid are missing Rıdvan Baran, Pele, and Mariano Luengo. Baran's absence at left-back forces Nicolas Cazaux over from centre-back, a shift that could be exploited by Götz Rosen, Ponferrada's pacey right winger. Rosen's duel with Cazaux is one to watch, but the key battle is on the other flank: Joel, Madrid's tricky left winger, against Javier Mata. Joel's dribbling has been Madrid's brightest spark this season, but Mata's tackling is solid.
Then there is Gérson. The Brazilian spent eight years at Real Madrid, scoring 109 goals in 346 games, winning three trophies. He returns in Ponferrada colours, and though his form has dipped—average rating 6.5 over his last five—he will be desperate to prove a point. "He gave everything for Madrid," a Ponferrada source said. "Now he gives everything against them."
Madrid's own striker, Ronaldinho, is out of form, averaging 6.47 over his last four. He will need to find something special against a Ponferrada defence marshalled by Manu Puente, who dominates in the air.
The Super Cup is a chance for silverware, but for Madrid it is also a chance to prove they can still compete with the best. Lose again, and the questions will grow louder. Win, and the season takes on a different colour.
It will not be easy. Ponferrada are not just a regular name in the international game now; they are a side that believes it belongs. And on recent evidence, they are right.