No one can quite forget the four matches in 18 days last season that threatened to boil over though there is still simmering tensions between both sides. The two-legged affair starts at the Santiago Bernabeu today, with the return leg on Wednesday at the Nou Camp.
The two clubs who have defined Spanish football and carved a mini-league from the other clubs in La Liga have substantially strengthened their already strong squads for this season. While Jose Mourinho has promised a better second season as manager of Los Balancos and has signed the likes of Fabio Coentrao and Nuri Sahin, Barcelona have signed Chilean winger cum playmaker, Alexis Sanchez and may yet add Cesc Fabregas to their line-up.
And Barcelona's Xavi threw the first barb of the season when he declared that he was not afraid of Jose Mourinho. "I am more worried about their (Real Madrid) players rather than the coach.
"They have signed well and they have experience as well as a high level of playing and they are strong in defence. Madrid are very good which is why Barcelona deserve more credit for having dominated the Liga against them and for having knocked them out of the Champions League."
Complexion of today's game
Barcelona may have to do without the services of both Gerard Pique and Sergio Busquets for this first leg as they picked up injuries in the friendly match between Italy and Spain on Wednesday. Pique has been diagnosed with a muscular problem and he had to be replaced in the first half of the 2-1 loss to Italy. Busquets, who replaced Pique, also finished the game with a knee problem. If both cannot make it, then Javier Mascherano or Eric Abidal will have to fill in as centre backs.
Captain Carles Puyol, and Xavi Hernandez may also miss the match with Puyol still recovering from a knee injury and Xavi is working to overcome calf problems that prevented him playing against Italy. Maxwell Scherrer and Ibrahim Afellay are also doubtful for the encounter.
But one player who is a surety for this encounter is Spanish World Cup winner, the quicksilver forward, Pedro, and he believes that the La Liga race will be a closely fought one this season. "Real Madrid will be even more dangerous than last year. Their players are really fired up now and I think that it will be a long and tough season for us," Pedro told El Mundo Deportivo.
But that does not mean that the Catalans are not up for the fight. "We really want to win the Supercopa. It's an important objective for us. We travel to Madrid with a title at stake and there will be a lot of tension. It will be a great test for the team.
He added: "Real play some very good football. They have a lot of fast players and it will be difficult to stop them. We have to be very alert of their counterattacks." Real have injury worries as well with Sergio Ramos suffering from back pain while Nuri Sahin and Esteban Granero are also doubtful.
Gonzalo Higuain is anxious to start the season as his 2010/11 season was almost wrecked by a back injury that sidelined him for five months. He believes though that Real have a stronger side for the assault on Barcelona's title. "The team is more mature this year and it's obvious on the field. We've built a great squad for the new season. We are going back home to Madrid very happy and we will start preparing for the Supercup." Barcelona's coach, Pep Guardiola has said he will convince his players on their ability to beat Real at their ground even though their fitness is not yet at optimum level. "We need more time to acquire full physical fitness but the mental side of things also plays an important role.
"Our fitness is not what it should be. Real Madrid are definitely going well and we will need more time. But I will convince my players that they can win." And Pique could not have agreed more when he said "Pep Guardiola is the key to our success. He is a great coach with a great ability to motivate all the players. He is one of the best coaches in the world and it is a privilege for us to have him." All talk aside, the 2011/12 La Liga promises to be a keenly contested affair with both Barcelona and Real Madrid well motivated to usurp each other.
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