Real Madrid: 5 players who must shine vs Athletic Club in the Supercup

Real Madrid will face Athletic Club for the second time this season in Malaga on Thursday night for the semifinals of the Spanish Supercup.

A Toni Kroos Olympic goal and a clutch red card from Fede Valverde helped Real Madrid lift the Spanish Supercup in Saudi Arabia last year. Due to COVID-19, this year’s tournament will be played closer to home, as Los Blancos will face Athletic Club in the semifinals this Thursday night at La Rosaleda.

Last month, Real defeated Bilbao 3-1, though they needed a late goal from Karim Benzema to seal the game moments after the visitors nearly tied the match.

Here are five players who must shine in order for Los Merengues to advance to the final where either Real Sociedad or Barcelona await.

CB Sergio Ramos

Captain Sergio Ramos has been in the news frequently due to the ongoing, dragging contract negotiations between himself and Real Madrid. There’s surely a lot of chatter amongst Madridistas now, but Ramos, on the pitch, remains committed and effective. He’s having another good reason for Los Merengues.

He’ll need to be great on Thursday night against Inaki Williams, who always causes Real problems. Williams threatened a few times in their last meeting, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he scores in the Supercup. Ramos must do his best to keep him quiet.