Real Madrid: 5 players who must shine against Atelti in Supercup Final

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JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA – JANUARY 08: Luka Jovic of Real Madrid runs with the ball during the Supercopa de Espana Semi-Final match between Valencia CF and Real Madrid at King Abdullah Sports City on January 8, 2020 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Ricardo Nogueira/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images) /

ST Luka Jovic

Karim Benzema is out with a hamstring injury, so Luka Jovic will draw another start for Los Blancos in an even more important game. While Jovic didn’t find the scoresheet in the 3-0 semifinal win over Valencia, he played a role in build-up play and showed the traits, particularly off the ball, that will make him a world-class striker one day.

Jovic may have to find the back of the net on Sunday in order for Los Blancos to get the win. It will be much more difficult for Real Madrid to dominate Diego Simeone’s Atleti in the same way that their midfield absolutely trampled all over Valencia on Wednesday. Even with Koke out, Los Rojiblancos will be a challenge for Real.

So while Jovic may not have many chances to score, he’ll need to be ruthless with his execution both off and, especially, on the ball in order to help Real grab the trophy.

CAM Luka Modric

Luka Modric has been at his best this season, and it’s clear he is still of world-class quality. Against Getafe, Modric put the icing on the cake with a lung-busting run to finish Fede Valverde’s pass on the counterattack in a 3-0 win. Then, he scored the second goal in Real’s 3-0 win over Valencia in the Supercup semifinal, finishing with an outside-the-boot strike.

More moments of magic will need to be on the way for Modric both as a passer and shooter against Atletico Madrid’s vaunted defense. Simeone’s side is playing as scrappy (read: boring) as ever, so the onus will be on Modric to provide delightful and effective tricks in this final.

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