Ever since Real Madrid's 5-2 loss to Atletico Madrid back in September, Los Blancos had been waiting for their time to get revenge on their bitter city rivals. And after having to wait a few months, they finally got their revenge on Diego Simeone and his men with a 2-1 victory in the Spanish Supercup semi-finals. This is even sweeter revenge than getting it in La Liga, because costing Atleti the chance at a trophy is as sweet as candy.
Madrid had some good stretches of play throughout the game where they looked like the better team, but for most of the game, Atletico looked more on the front foot, with Los Blancos having to rely on brilliant individual performances to get over the line in the end.
Federico Valverde's rocket of a free kick and Rodrygo's brilliant solo goal secured the win, bringing Xabi Alonso to his first final as Real Madrid manager. Relying on brilliant individual performances has become an uncomfortable normality for Los Blancos this season, as we've seen time and time again from players like Kylian Mbappe and Thibaut Courtois.
This time, it was Valverde and Rodrygo, and who knows who will come to the rescue next time Madrid needs it. Interestingly, there was another player who put in an incredible performance against Atleti, who isn't getting the recognition he deserves, and is stamping his name as Real Madrid's most underrated player.
Real Madrid’s win over Atletico showed who their most underrated player is
What Eduardo Camavinga did in Madrid's semi-final victory should not go without recognition. He was the glue holding the midfield together and was the most important midfielder in both the attacking and defending phases of the game, and for Camavinga, these are his typical weekly performances that go completely under the radar.
His pace, agility, underrated strength, and his ability to dribble out of tight areas are irreplaceable in the midfield and he deserves the recognition as one of the best midfielders not just at Real Madrid, but in the world.
The only thing that has been holding Camavinga back has been injuries. Since his arrival before the 21/22 season, he's had at least one injury each season that will see him sidelined for sometimes an extended period of time, limiting his consistency and ability to play a number of successive games in a row.
But when he is fit and can get a consistent run in the team, he shows exactly why Madrid brought him in at such a young age and why they put so much trust in him. He completely changes the team's dynamic on the pitch and has to be a non-negotiable starter for Alonso going forward.