Nothing will ever make up for Lisbon but at least Atlético Madrid know that the cruelty did not sink them. The European Cup finalists met again and the celebrations in Madrid were red and white. Under Diego Simeone Atlético have won the Europa League, the Copa del Rey, the league, the European Super Cup and now the Spanish Super Cup. A 1-0 win gave them a 2-1 aggregate victory. Mario Mandzukic scored the goal in the second minute; it had been a long wait but this time there was no late, late equaliser.
As Atlético paraded the trophy, and the noise rose, Real Madrid’s players watched. Two men who were not among them were Ángel Di María and Sami Khedira. Both had been left out of the squad the day after Carlo Ancelotti admitted that they had refused to sign new contracts. The Italian said that Di María, who Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain are interested in signing, had asked to leave.
It took just 81 seconds for Atlético to take what would prove a decisive lead, 69 seconds longer than it had taken them to create their first opportunity and 52 seconds longer than it had taken them to have their first shot. It was that sort of opening: this time Atlético did not wait; this time, they went straight for the throat. Raphaël Varane slid in to stop the first one, Iker Casillas saved the second and then Mario Mandzukic scored.
Leaping, under pressure from Mandzukic, Varane’s header was poor, back towards his own goal. Sergio Ramos was then out-jumped by Antoine Griezmann and the Croatian striker ran beyond him and steered the shot into the bottom corner. Between them they had cost Atlético €52m this summer; now they had given them the lead. The Calderón erupted, but the lessons have been learnt, not least in Lisbon, and they are painful ones.
Some of the challenges were painful too. The game was heating up and Simeone was sent off soon after, later taking up his place at the front of the stand. Not only had he complained as the game went on while Juanfran was off getting treatment, he also gave the fourth official a slap round the back of the head. As he disappeared down the tunnel, he gestured for the Calderón to turn up the volume, which they did. Real Madrid’s playmaker Luka Modric also saw red after two bookable offences. The crowd could not turn down theirremained nerves, though. And although Raúl García’s five-yard header from a corner should have made it 2-0, and he had a long shot turned away by Casillas, Real were growing.
James Rodríguez was at the heart of it. At the end of the first half, his shot faded just wide.
Before that a side-footed shot was pushed away by Moya, a header flashed wide and he neatly created the best opportunity of the half for Gareth Bale, but the Welshman put the ball just wide. Rodríguez had started in place of Ronaldo, withdrawn in the first leg with a thigh strain. Now Ronaldo appeared at half-time. Toni Kroos departed and the control went with him.
At times the game was wild and the threat from Madrid never really vanished but it was Atlético who threatened most and García’s header went off the bar and onto the line, Griezmann’s bursting run into the area did not find a finish because of Coentrao’s alertness, and then García curled wide.
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