Real Madrid secured a well-fought 2–1 victory against Atletico Madrid in the semi-final of the Spanish Super Cup. It was a tough match for Los Blancos to begin with, given Kylian Mbappe's unavailability. However, Los Merengues managed things well and took revenge for their 5–2 loss in La Liga earlier this season.
Federico Valverde was the man of the match, having scored with a thunderous free kick and also providing an assist. Los Blancos will now face Barcelona on Sunday in the final.
Nevertheless, the Madrid derby always provides heated moments and controversies, and this latest matchup was no different. Vinicius Junior has been visibly struggling with his form recently and has even been whistled by Real Madrid fans themselves on some occasions.
Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone clearly tried to take advantage of that situation, attempting to rile up Vinicius with digs about the Brazilian’s future at the Estadio Bernabeu. The scenes escalated further when Vini was taken off, and the Argentine tactician commented something towards the left-winger.
This resulted in the referee intervening and cautioning Simeone with a yellow card. Meanwhile, Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso, who will certainly be happy with his team’s performance, also addressed this incident post match and gave a befitting reply to Simeone.
Xabi Alonso gives befitting reply to Diego Simeone over Vinicius Jr incident
The Sun have reported that Alonso spoke after the game and stated:
"I heard what Simeone said to Vini, and I didn’t like it.
“You cannot talk like that, some things cross the line. It’s unacceptable and it’s a lack of fair play."
Alonso was facing a lot of pressure going into the Atletico matchup, given that his team had lost the last time the two clubs met. But he clearly learned from his mistakes and adapted his tactics accordingly which resulted in the win.
In the meantime, Rodrygo and Valverde are back in form, leaving only Vinicius to find his footing once again. At a time like this, Alonso coming to the defence of the Brazilian will provide the player with much-needed support.
While Vini wasn’t particularly good in this matchup, Simeone has no right to comment on the Los Blancos star, and Alonso has made that clear with his statement.
Now the focus shifts to Sunday as another El Clasico awaits against an in-form Barcelona. Real Madrid will have to bring their A-game to go all the way against the Catalans and lift the trophy.