Real Madrid thrashed Real Betis 5-1 in their latest La Liga matchup to stay within three points of the top spot which is currently held by Barcelona. Gonzalo Garcia played some incredible football, scoring a hat-trick and showcasing his ability in the centre-forward role. The Spanish youngster was handed a place in the starting XI and he certainly made the most of the opportunity.
Nevertheless, Real Madrid will now have to focus on the Super Cup semi-finals as they are set to face Atletico Madrid at King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah. Los Blancos will be aiming to book a place in the final, and it surely won’t be an easy task, especially given the recent update on the list of absentees.
Injuries to key players have plagued Madrid in recent years, and this season is no different, with the Los Blancos squad once again ravaged by injuries. Kylian Mbappe, who has been in impressive form lately, is the latest addition to this dreaded list with a sprain in his left knee.
The Frenchman missed the match against Real Betis due to the same issue, although Garcia stepped up to the occasion, ensuring that fans didn’t feel Mbappé’s absence.
Meanwhile, it looks like the Spanish centre-forward may have to do that all over again against Atletico Madrid as well, if reports are to be believed.
Real Madrid dealt huge blow with superstar ruled out of Atletico matchup
Mario Cortegana recently posted on X that Mbappé is expected to miss the Super Cup clash against Atletico Madrid due to his injury.
While there’s still some hope that Mbappe might be fit to lead the attack on Thursday, the chances of that happening are slowly fading, especially with Cortegana’s recent report.
The decision on whether Mbappe will travel with the squad or stay back in Madrid to focus on his recovery is still unknown.
It will be interesting to see if Alonso opts to trust Garcia against their city rivals, given the magnitude of the match. The Spaniard certainly made a strong case with his heroics against Real Betis, where he didn’t put a foot wrong.
Madrid fans don’t have fond memories of the last time the two Madrid-based clubs met, when Atletico won 5-2. So, Alonso will need to assess that matchup and adjust his tactics accordingly.
In the event of Mbappe’s possible unavailability, all the other Los Blancos players will have to step up and give their all to get the better of Atletico. With or without the Frenchman, let’s hope Real Madrid get their revenge for the last matchup and come back home with a win.