Spain kick-start season with a fiesta in Europe

he 2016/17 campaign kicks off in the same fashion as last season ended - with a party for Spain in Europe.

Real Madrid, who won their 11th European cup after lifting the Champions League, and Sevilla, who won a fifth Europa League title, led the celebrations to close the 2015/16 season.

Now they are the guests of honour for the curtain raiser on Tuesday as they face each other in Trondheim for the UEFA Super Cup.

Both sides will want to emerge victorious with Los Blancos keen for a repeat performance from when they beat the Andalusians 2-0 with a brace from Cristiano Ronaldo - who will not be involved in this match.

He will not be the only player missing at the Lerkendal Stadion because of injuries or an extended break after Euro 2016.

Zinedine Zidane will not be able to call on the Portuguese goal scorer who is recovering from an injured knee or Pepe who is still on holiday.

Likewise Gareth Bale and Toni Kroos have been left in Madrid because they have not had enough time to prepare, and Keylor Navas who is recovering from surgery on his ankle, is also ruled out.

Karim Benzema is expected to be on the bench.

In total, these are six key players missing from the starting XI who played their part in helping their side to victory against Atletico Madrid at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza.

New faces will also be evident for the Rojiblancos squad as well as on their bench, new coach Jorge Sampaoli taking over from Unai Emery who has gone to rewrite history at Paris Saint-Germain.

The Argentine will bring his ambition and brave, new ideas to a changed side after Ever Banega, Jose Antonio Reyes, Grzegorz Krychowiak, Kevin Gameiro and Koke moved on too.

5:36 AM