Real ready for Super Cup showdown

Real Madrid will contest their first trophy of the season when they meet Copa del Rey holders Real Zaragoza in the Spanish Super Cup on Sunday.

Star trio Roberto Carlos, Luis Figo and Zinedine Zidane have completed their international duties and will be back for both legs of the tie, the first of which will be staged at the Romareda with the return match set for August 22 in the Bernabeu.

Left-back Roberto Carlos is due to arrive back in the Spanish capital on Friday, but took time out to speak to radio station Cadena SER's El Larguero programme on Thursday night.

The player said: "I hope that, with my return and that of Figo and Zidane, we can put the house back in order and return to normality. We have lost a couple of games recently, but that always happens around this time of year and that's why we get so much criticism. I'm sure that the team will get back in its feet for the two Super Cup games, more so for the return leg at the Bernabeu. We must win this tie and log our first trophy of the season".

Zaragoza coach Txetxu Rojo is expected to field a 4-2-3-1 system for the match, the main doubts facing the Basque chief is whether to field Juanmi or Cesar Lainez in goal and also who will lead the attack out of Paulo Jamelli and Yordi.

The game gets underway at 8.45pm on Sunday.