Atlético took the lead twice but not even like that. The red and whites had it in their hand but couldn’t finish. Madrid, which never dies, is the first finalist of the Super Cup after a spectacular match that was resolved in extra time with an own goal from Savic and another crazy goal from Brahim.
In the absence of goals from forwards, Ancelotti’s goals passed with those of the defenders, his own, with goals from Rüdiger, Mendy and Carvajal, and those of others, with the referral from Savic. Anyone could have qualified but the whites did it, always more in their element when it comes to dancing with agony.
The game already seemed exciting before it started. On the one hand, a launched Madrid, which appeared with a streak of 19 games without losing. On the other hand, a eager Atlético, the only one that has defeated the whites this season. Enticements of all kinds in the first of the three derbies in the coming weeks. And by faith the meeting did not disappoint. On the contrary. It turned out to be a vibrant function from the initial opening of the cork.
No minutes of trial and error. No cumbersome and contemplative studies. Attack goes, counterattack comes. With rhythm, with intention and with the avant-garde prevailing on both sides. The first to hit was Simeone’s team. He could have done it with a shot from an incisive Lino that Kepa deflected, but he did it with a header from Mario Hermoso following a corner taken by Griezmann. White passivity in defense and in goal, where Kepa, chosen on this occasion, did not even move.
A neat and clairvoyant Atlético moved forward with the ball. El Cholo had decreed the presence of Saúl in the midfield, with Llorente as winger. Only one change with respect to the league victory against Madrid, that of De Paul, current colchonero lighthouse, for Nahuel Molina.
Against the tide, Ancelotti’s men tried to react, with the spark of Vinícius and the dynamism of their midfielders, with Valverde multiplying and Bellingham always on the hunt. But, for now, they were fireworks. Because Atlético, every time they grabbed the ball, moved it with sense. In one of his displays, De Paul connected with Llorente and this cross to the far post. Morata did not score and Atlético forgave there.
It is already known that failing against Madrid usually takes a toll and then Ancelotti’s men leveled the score. It was through another defender and then another corner. Modric found Rüdiger’s head and the German beat Hermoso and Savic to make it 1-1. As against Mallorca, the central defender scored.
The tie gave Madrid wings to the excitement of the stands, turning Al Awwal Park into an imitation of a small Bernabéu. There were even shouts of “this is how Madrid wins” that were repeated when the Madrid fans turned the result around on the stroke of half an hour.
Carvajal crossed from the right and Mendy, in the heart of the area, found the net with a shot more typical of billiards. Three goals, all three from defenders.
A white hurricane threatened for Atlético, a team much more entertaining to watch than in the past but less solvent in containment, much to Cholo’s dismay.
However, in that moment of difficulty, the figure of Griezmann emerged. The Frenchman, with a brilliant maneuver, got rid of Modric’s opposition and with his least capable leg, the right, he surpassed a Kepa who could do more. With that goal, Griezmann not only made it 2-2 but also became a legend of his club by becoming its top scorer above Luis Aragonés.
The match was a delight for the spectator and Rodrygo came close to setting it on fire again. Oblak avoided it with an incredible stop, with both legs and on the wrong foot.
The restart looked full of suspense, both in the game and in the result. Both teams became more cautious, so the opportunities were reduced. Even so, Lino bordered on the third Colchonero goal after Carvajal lost a ball and Vinícius looked for the imbalance, monopolizing a lot of focus.
It was time for the benches and moving the tree. Simeone brought in Riquelme and Molina and Ancelotti resorted to Kroos’s stripes, notoriously whistled by the public every time he intervened for being critical of the tournament in Saudi Arabia. With the German, Madrid won in possession. That always usually anticipates danger and Carvajal forced Oblak to make another save.
Extra time was already on the horizon but the way the match had gone, anything could happen. What happened was that a hesitant Kepa did not come out decisively against Morata and in the mess he scored in his own goal with his foot in the air. The goalkeeper called for a foul on Morata but Alberola Rojas did not change his decision. Atlético took the lead again before the final stretch. Ancelotti reacted without delay by bringing in Brahim and Camavinga.
Last twist of script? Not at all. Because Carvajal equalized again by completing a long play in which Oblak and the defense had prevented the goal. But the second rebound was caught by the full-back to make it 3-3 in the 84th minute. Madrid lived up to its reputation for being irreducible and the match ended in extra time.
Extra time was uneventful until Carvajal crossed and Savic scored in his goal. Griezmann still had one last chance but without luck and Brahim scored the fifth, with Oblak out of his goal. Madrid extends its good fortune.
