The thrilling encounter between Atlético and Real Madrid was nothing short of a spectacle.
The two teams battled it out for half an hour more just for the fun of it, scoring three goals each to take a sixth successive derby knockout tie into extra time. The game was finally concluded when Jan Oblak, the Atlético goalkeeper, up for one last throw of the dice trailing 4-3, found himself desperately chasing as Brahim Díaz broke clear and bent the ball into an empty net in the 121st minute, sending his teammates streaming on to the pitch and into the final of the Spanish Super Cup.
The game had everything a football fan could ask for, with lots of entertainment and eight goals, two of which were really superb and two of which were really very silly. Most of the goals were scored by unexpected players, including defenders. Antoine Griezmann got the best goal of the game to overtake Luis Aragonés as Atlético’s all-time top scorer. The match had a lot of back-and-forth action, with both teams refusing to give in. It was not over until the very end, when Díaz, on as a substitute, was standing there with his top off and everyone was trying to work out what had happened. By the end, everyone was exhausted, but the technique displayed by both sides had been exceptional.
The technique was evident from the very beginning, particularly in the move that led to the opening goal. It was built deep in one half and finished in the other, going from Koke to the exceptional Rodrigo de Paul to Griezmann and then Samuel Lino, whose curler was pushed wide by Kepa. From the corner taken by Griezmann, Hermoso stood all alone and headed Atlético into the lead. Real were struggling to get a grip of those early phases, but Atlético knew all about their refusal to fold, and they soon led. Rüdiger scored a virtual copy of that moment from the European Cup final in Lisbon, a decade ago now but ever present. It was the second game in a row that Rüdiger had scored and the third consecutive Real goal to come from a header at a corner.
The match lacked tension, but it made up for it in technique. The goals were scored in spectacular fashion, with smartly worked moves and exceptional individual efforts. The fans were on the edge of their seats throughout the game, and the atmosphere was electric. It was a truly unforgettable match that showcased the best of Spanish football.
