By Toby Prince
Barcelona are bidding to match one of the greatest years in its history by winning six titles in 2015 in Tuesday’s season-opening Uefa Super Cup against Sevilla in Tbilisi, Georgia.
A depleted Barcelona are without star striker, Neymar Junior, who is down with an illness alongside Jordi Alba and Douglas, both injured, with summer signings, Arda Turan and Aleix Vidal also ruled out until January due to Fifa ban imposed on the club.
After winning the Champions League and the Spanish league and cup double last season, Barcelona is looking to match its record-breaking 2009 calendar year by winning the Uefa and Spanish Super Cups, plus the Club World Cup.
“It’s not so easy to get our six titles, very few teams have done that, but tomorrow we’ll get started on that,” said Andres Iniesta, who starts his first season as Barcelona captain following Xavi Hernandez’s summer departure, through a translator. “We’re very excited to secure those six titles once again.”
In the absence of Brazilian sensation, Neymar, Manchester United target, Pedro, will start for the Blaugrana.
“As a teammate and as a player, with all his capabilities, we really hope (Pedro) will stay with us because he’s a world category player, spectacular,” Iniesta said. “He’s still our teammate; he’s here with us to earn this first title of the season with us.”
Sevilla on the other hand contest the Uefa Super Cup for the second year in a row, having successfully defended the Europa League last season.
But three of the players who started for the Rojiblancos in May’s Europa League final have left, including Colombian striker Carlos Bacca, who scored twice in the final, a 3-2 win over Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk.
A victory for Barca will see them equal AC Milan’s record of five Uefa Super Cups, while Sevilla coach, Unai Emery, has not beaten the Catalans in 19 attempts.
