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A wonderful start to the European season and even the La Liga season, with defending Champions League champs Real Madrid taking on Europa League winners Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Super-Cup. The two Madrid giants met for the 220th time but while Real Madrid does have the upper hand in the overall tie, Atletico Madrid came out on top tonight.
The La Rojiblancos were at their best and made the most of the chances they got, with the score ending 2-2 at the end of normal time, before Atleti added two more in extra time. Real Madrid, on the other hand, struggled in the early minutes, before settling into a rhythm.
Julen Lopetegui’s men were in control for most of the game but struggled to break a tight Atletico Madrid back line. While both Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema combined well to pull on back in the first half for the Los Blancos, few of the other Real Madrid stars came close to troubling Jan Oblak.
Here is a look at the 3 worst and the 3 best players of the UEFA Supercup:
#3 Hit: Angel Correa
The Argentine international replaced a rather tired looking Antoine Griezmann with a little more than 30 minutes left in the game at the time. Real Madrid had a 2-1 lead and it looked like a mountain to climb, with Julen Lopetegui’s men making the ball do all the work. But, despite that Correa was surprisingly brilliant, as he hustled about the pitch making things that much harder for Real Madrid’s midfield.
The 23-year-old was a constant menace for Atleti and while he didn’t manage to get on the score sheet, it was thanks to him and Juanfran’s refusal to give up that allowed Diego Costa to score a vital equalizer.
His career hasn’t always gone according to plan but now the 23-year-old has been rewarded with the number 10 for this season, after impressing manager Diego Simone last season. His performances today will do him a world of good for the upcoming La Liga season.
#3 Flop: Antoine Griezmann
Griezmann was very quiet and struggled to make a big impact alongside Diego Costa with the former Chelsea man doing most of the work. The 27-year-old looked tired at times, but was still his industrious self, making himself available for a pass or even defending. But as the match grew on, Griezmann continued to struggle which is understandable given that this is his first start since the World Cup.
Bear in mind, the French superstar has just come off possibly the longest footballing season in his career since he made his debut as a professional footballer in 2009. The 27-year-old was impeccable for Atletico Madrid last season, before making Didier Deschamp’s World Cup squad.
Even here in Russia, the former Real Sociedad star excelled and played nearly every game for France in the run to lifting the World Cup. IT will take him some time to get back to his best, but hopefully, for Atletico Madrid fans, Antoine Griezmann should be in tip-top shape at the start of the season.
#2 Hit: Saul Niguez
Atletico Madrid’s all-action man, the Spaniard was excellent in the middle of the park, dictating play at times for the Los Rojiblancos. The 23-year-old was at the heart of almost every Atletico Madrid move in the Super-Cup and made sure he was available defensively as well, before putting the tie to bed with a superb volley.
His stats for the night make a rather fascinating read and his ability to show up in the biggest games should frighten La Liga teams next season. Without him, there is a good chance that Atletico would have struggled to make up ground, especially with Gabi leaving after making more than 410 appearances.
The Spaniard’s presence in midfield will be crucial in the upcoming season, especially if Diego Simeone wants to challenge for both the La Liga and the Champions League titles.
#2 Flop: Marco Asensio
Among Real Madrid’s potential replacements for Cristiano Ronaldo, tonight was Asensio’s chance to show the world that he could replace the five-time Ballon d’Or superstar. However, things did not go according to plan and the young Spaniard wasn’t up to the mark.
While he did do comparatively well in Julen Lopetegui’s formation, the 22-year-old wasn’t up to his very best and showed that he still has ways to go. The Spaniard will soon be fighting for chances in Lopetegui’s starting eleven and the Super-Cup was the perfect chance to prove himself.
But with Luka Modric’s return (despite the rumors of a move to Serie A), Asensio needs to do more to cement his spot in the current squad, and missing the few good chances he had tonight, certainly doesn’t help his position.
#1 Hit: Diego Costa
The man, the myth, and the bully. The Brazilian born Spaniard was simply exquisite for Atletico Madrid on the night, doing exactly what he does best. Relentless battle combined with his magnificent ability to find the slightest of chances in front of goal, making the most of them, Diego Costa had a hoard of Chelsea fans cursing Antonio Conte even more.
The former Blues striker made himself a menace from the get-go, scoring at 49 seconds, the quickest goal in the UEFA Super-Cup’s history. And if that wasn’t enough, he bullied Sergio Ramos and got bullied in return, but made sure that Real Madrid and their backline knew he was playing against them.
The 29-year-old walked away with the man of the match for his two crucial goals, one at the start and one in the death of normal time, and his part in the third and fourth goals but he laid everything out on the pitch for the world to see. If Costa continues like this, Antoine Griezmann certainly has someone he can depend upon to ease the burden, and maybe this could be Atleti’s year.
#1 Flop: Raphael Varane
An absolute horror show for the Frenchman, as he made not one but two crucial errors that ended up leading to a goal. His mistake on the way towards Atletico Madrid’s game-winning goal, which Saul Niguez volleyed with ease, was a mistake, which simply shouldn’t be made from a center-back who has been a crucial part of the last three Champions League winning teams.
Varane looked lost much before then and was badly bullied within the opening minute of the clash by Diego Costa, in the build-up to the opening goal. The 25-year-old never recovered from that and was a shadow of himself giving partner Sergio Ramos a lot to deal with.
Things did not get better, and Real Madrid ended up conceded 3 more goals to effectively end the tie. President Florentino Perez has big plans for this current crop of players but if they don’t fix their defense, then any hopes of a title race will end long before it even starts.
