Real Madrid emerged victorious in one of the most entertaining and high-scoring Madrid derbies in recent times, to qualify for the final of the Spanish Super Cup.
Mario Hermoso’s header gave Atletico Madrid the lead in the 6th minute before Rüdiger equalized from a Luka Modrić corner. Los Blancos took the lead for the first time in the game after Ferland Mendy scored, from Carvajal’s cross.
Just 8 minutes after Mendy scored, Antoine Griezmann brought things back to square one and the score stood 2-2 at halftime. With his goal, Griezmann also became Atletico’s all-time leading goal scorer with 174 goals.
A mistake by Kepa – who did not have a good outing – led to Rüdiger netting the ball into his own net to give Los Rojiblancos a lead in the 78th minute. But the Merengues punched back again with Carvajal’s strike in the 85th minute, taking the game to extra time.
A penalty shootout was looming, until Carvajal put a ball inside the box, for Stefan Savić to score an own goal – the second one of the night – and gave the men in white the lead again.
With the Colchoneros pushing players up the pitch in the dying moments of the game, Oblak was halfway up the pitch. Azpilicueta took a throw-in but was cleared when Brahim Díaz made an unbelievable sprint to beat Oblak and put the ball inside the empty net to complete a 5-3 victory.
Real Madrid came back from behind twice, showing the ‘never say die’ attitude like they always do. “This is the DNA of Real Madrid. This team never gives up,” said Carlo Ancelotti after the match.
Dani Carvajal could not have asked for a better birthday present as he was named the man of the match for his brilliant performance. The Spaniard also praised Ancelotti after the match: “Carlo Ancelotti told the young ones that this is Real Madrid, that we have to fight until the end and today more than ever we have shown it.”
Exactly a week later, both these sides face off again in a knockout tie at the Wanda Metropolitano, in what is expected to be another cracking fixture.
Meanwhile, Real Madrid live to fight another day, and with this victory, they also send a message to the world: the game is not over until Real Madrid says it is over.
Now, Los Blancos wait in anticipation to know who they will be facing in the final, as arch-rivals FC Barcelona take on Osasuna in the 2nd semi-final on Thursday.
