In the early morning of Beijing time on the 17th, the final of the Spanish Super Cup, with Modric's goal and Benzema's penalty shot, Real Madrid defeated Athletic Bilbao 2-0 and won the Super Cup.
Super Champions are born! At the King Fahd Stadium, Real Madrid beat Bilbao 2-0 to win the Spanish Super Cup. Modric took the top spot for his first title of the season, and Benzema set the record for a penalty. In the final moments, Courtois magically saved the opponent's penalty and completely killed the suspense. To put it more broadly, this could herald the beginning of a new dynasty. To a lesser extent, Rodrigo has improved and is expected to fly on both wings in the second half of the season.
Although Ancelotti was the "new coach" who took office half a year ago, he still feels the same way: "ceremonial midfielder". With the exception of the infected Carvajal, all the main players who can get on the start have started. The team played 120 minutes with Barca 3 days ago, coupled with the long distance, some fatigue accumulated. But the players were generally relaxed and morale was high. Coupled with the fact that the vast majority of the nearly 60,000 spectators were dressed in white, Real Madrid felt the home stadium.
Bilbao played a game against Atletico in an inherent style: a slow but energetic start, a strong counter-attack but less efficient. Facing Real Madrid, which also focuses on counter-attacking and fast attacking, it is difficult for Bilbao to take advantage of the speed. Midfield core Munyayin lost almost the entire game under multiple defenses, which greatly weakened the efficiency of the offensive organization. Bilbao shot more goals than Real Madrid, especially in the last 20 minutes, which had the momentum of replicating the semi-finals and turning the tide of the game in one fell swoop. However, Real Madrid is not Atletico, with Courtois, Militon and Casemiro in them, and there are not many loopholes in air defense. Spain international Unai Simon, although unable to concede a goal, has made a number of key saves before. Judging from the process, Bilbao played well, but there is still a gap in strength with Real Madrid.
Bilbao coach Marcelino has a flamboyant style, but his tactical style is cautious and conservative, and he has a lot of friendship with Ancelotti. In the face of strong opponents, it is difficult for him to calculate everywhere. For example, the breaking point of this game is not the connection between Vinicius and Benzema, but the side of Rodrigo. Marcelino started at left-back with Valenciaga, who didn't like assists, but soon found he couldn't keep up with Rodrigo. In the 38th minute, Rodrigo suddenly activated the burst into the box, attracting opponents to surround and cleverly split the ball, Modric followed up with a powerful shot to break the goal. In the past, Rodrigo did not have difficulty completing the first step, but the last foot of the ball was always handled poorly. If there are more such passes in the future than the empty goal of the previous game, Real Madrid will naturally revitalize on the right. It feels powerful when you think about it.
The controversy in this game focused on several handballs. In the opening 11 minutes, Williams' shot hit Alaba's arm, but the referee on duty, Soto Grande, saw clearly and skipped it. In the 52nd minute, Benzema's shot hit the arm of centre-back Jerry and the referee, confirmed by VAR, awarded a penalty. Benzema scored the ball. This caused resentment on the Basque side. However, the interpretation of several experts in the field referee is clear and consistent: when Arabba falls to the ground, the ball hits his support hand, and the rule is not to judge the handball foul.
The final 10 minutes of the game were unusually tense. Bilbao launched a total attack, sending the ball into the Real Madrid penalty area several times. In the 87th minute, Raul Garcia headed a header from close range and the ball hit Militang's hand. In addition to awarding handball, the referee also sent the Brazilian a direct red card. It is widely believed that the sentence is too heavy. If the ball is scored, Real Madrid, who has one less person, is likely to lose their previous achievements. At the crucial moment, Courtois flew out and blocked Raul Garcia's shot with his legs, saving the match point between milliseconds. Although the best of the game went to Croatian veteran Modric, Courtois's outstanding performance in the last six months is indeed the biggest guarantee for Real Madrid to strive for the upper reaches.
Ancelotti believes that the championship trophy is a good starting point, fully reflecting the strength of this team: "The championship is a driving force that pushes the team forward. The team didn't have time to reminisce about the championship, and other games followed. When I saw this team, I thought I had the strength to win the championship. This group of players was not good at the time. When you win, you feel great, and you can't be handsome. They don't believe it because they're not handsome. An Shuai joked.
Although Ancelotti still let Hazard, Jovic and others sit dry, they were replaced by veteran Marcelo in the end. After the game, Marcelo won his 23rd trophy at Real Madrid, equalling paco Hento, the first champion in team history. An Shuai let the real captain appear, which is a great trust and encouragement. If Real Madrid continue to work hard this season, Marcelo can say goodbye with a record that is difficult for future generations to surpass.
Wen | Wu Yifan
Edit | Fat Cat