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Three talking points ahead of Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid | Spanish Super Cup
The new format of the Spanish Super Cup has been met with some criticism, especially given the change in venue and its scheduling overseas. It has, however, concurrently improved the stakes and value of the trophy.
Now a four-team tournament, the Spanish Super Cup is more coveted than it was before and often serves as a platform to set the stage for the second half of the season.
Real Madrid enter the event after one of their best showings of the year – a 5-1 win over Real Betis at home. Their first opponent in Saudi Arabia, however, is Atletico Madrid and the derby winner will play the potential final against Barcelona.
For Real Madrid, a lot more than mere prestige rides on the event and its result and it is clear that the dressing room is motivated to bring the silverware home.
Madrid Universal brings you three talking points ahead of Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid.
Revenge on the cards?
Real Madrid’s situation was drastically different when the last Madrid derby came around, so much so that the men in white were flying back at that point in time.
The two Spanish capital-based sides faced off on Matchday 7 of La Liga, and Xabi Alonso’s side entered the game as overwhelming favourites who were seemingly unstoppable.
Their first six league games, to that point, all ended in wins with the team scoring 14 goals and conceding just three goals. Even their long UEFA Champions League game had been won by a 2-1 margin.
Yet, Atletico Madrid tore through them with ease and sent them humiliated with a 5-2 margin. While the margin was embarrassing enough, the fact that they came back from being 2-1 down only made matters worse.
As Real Madrid prepare for the clash tomorrow, it is inevitable that the feeling of revenge crosses their minds. After all, Los Rojiblancos inflicted them with their first defeat of the season and this is their chance to set things straight.
Truth be told, Los Blancos do need that burning desire to take revenge in them tomorrow night if they are to take apart Atletico Madrid. After all, conviction is what has been missing in their displays over the past month.
Vinicius must step up
The biggest news ahead of Real Madrid’s Spanish Super Cup curtain-raiser is the absence of Kylian Mbappe, who has not recovered from the setback he suffered last week.
Real Madrid faced off against Real Betis at the weekend without their talisman and it was young Gonzalo Garcia who took control and delivered a stunning hat-trick to send the team to three points.
While all signs do point to him starting once more tomorrow, it is only justified that Vinicius Jr. takes up more responsibility as a seasoned campaigner for the club.
The Brazilian has indeed been better than he was last season, but he is nowhere close to his best. In fact, he has been whistled at by the fans at the Santiago Bernabeu for two straight games and it is high time he takes up responsibility.
It is astonishing that the winger has not scored in 18 games for club and country and that his last goal for Real Madrid came back in the first week of October.
Mbappe’s stunning form led fans to turn a blind eye to Vinicius’ goal drought, but with the striker now unavailable, the spotlight will shine on the Brazilian. At this point, he simply must step up and take on the plan Diego Simeone has to stop him.
Much-needed silverware
A lot has been said about Xabi Alonso’s managerial job and how it depends on the Spanish Super Cup, but Real Madrid’s need for silverware extends far beyond just salvaging his career.
Last season was a rare one for the men in white and they ended the season with no title of significance. They lost the Spanish Super Cup final to Barcelona, the Copa del Rey race to the same team, and even La Liga to Hansi Flick’s men.
The Spanish Super Cup this time, as always, presents them with a chance to bag silverware in the first month of 2026, and the effect it can have on the dressing room and their morale is massive.
While it is true that winning will buy Alonso and his project more time, it will also instill a sense of self-belief in the young squad and prove to them that they are serious candidates on all fronts.
Most importantly, it will bring a sense of unity and harmony, both in the dressing room and between the players and the coach – something Real Madrid desperately needs at this point in time.
A win on Thursday will place them within 90 minutes of the title and with a morale-lifting derby victory. The stakes could not be higher, and the reward sweeter.
Real Madrid made a mess of their game against Elche last night, and it is clear that the men in white have several flaws with no answers at the moment.
From being 2-0 up, the men in white bottled their lead and threw the game into jeopardy by permitting Elche to score two goals. The result, as many saw it, was set to end in a draw.
With some persistent attacks in the dying minutes, however, Real Madrid managed to build pressure on Elche and eventually scored one more goal at the death to take home the three points.
Needless to say, however, the negatives from the game far outweigh the positive news of the three points.
Madrid Universal brings you three takeaways from Elche 2-3 Real Madrid.
Another second-half collapse
After Real Madrid’s win over Rayo Vallecano at the weekend, Jose Mourinho stressed the fact that Real Madrid actually played only one half and that the fatigue began showing after the break.
On the night, the opposition began to enjoy more dominance and create chances after half-time as they outran and outpressed Los Blancos to good effect.
Last night was no different, and the second half went completely awry.
The men in white entered the half-time break cruising with a 2-0 lead and significant dominance over the proceedings. They had a massive xG, with Elche barely creating any chances of note.
After the break, however, the entire dynamic of the game changed as Real Madrid took a step back and handed the impetus to the hosts. Pressing high and attacking without fear, Elche dominated Real Madrid for most of the second half and had a staggering 60% of possession.
They scored twice – in the 71st and 83rd minutes – and equalised Real Madrid on the night. Given the visitors’ shambolic display, it was deserved for Elche.
At this point, the constant second-half collapses and fatigue struggles of the team after just 45 minutes of action must worry Jose Mourinho immensely. Heading into a derby away from home, Real Madrid have to do much better.
The away curse continues
While Real Madrid’s form at home has been imperious this season, their form away from home has been equally shocking.
They began their season with a last-minute win over Espanyol, and their second league game of the season on the road came against Real Betis and ended in defeat.
Heading into their third away game last night, there was an element of worry about how they would perform, and the trend continued once more.
Real Madrid did well to take the lead on the night, but they made the second half a massive war and far more difficult than it should have been.
At this point, serious questions have to be raised about Real Madrid’s form on the road and their inability to keep games under control when playing in away stadiums.
Heading forward in the season, Los Blancos have some massive away games coming up against far more difficult opposition. The Madrid derby is up next, and the team’s form is nothing promising heading into that fixture.
Carlos Espi saves the day… again!
Real Madrid are currently on 15 points after six games in the league, but Carlos Espi has directly contributed to a massive chunk of that.
If not for the new Spanish striker’s ability to come up clutch in big moments, Real Madrid could well have been on just 11 points at this stage in the season, and the four points he has added are absolutely crucial.
Against Espanyol, it was Espi who scored a stoppage-time winner to hand Real Madrid all three points after a complicated match. Last night, he repeated the same heroics once more.
With the team staring at a draw, the new signing was at the right place at the right time to bury Kylian Mbappe’s assist in stoppage time, handing Real Madrid all three points at the death.
He may not have played a large part on the night, but his cameo was again powerful and it is clear that he elevates the team’s attack and provides new solutions in front of goal. Espi has already proven his talent, and his ability to perform under pressure is what makes him special.
