The Federation, Saudi Arabia, and Spanish football in general will have El Clásico in the Supercopa. A Madrid with more football, more adrenaline, and more goals since hitting rock bottom at San Mamés overcame Mallorca without overwhelming them. The big difference is that now they have their finger on the trigger, but we shouldn’t underestimate Mbappé’s notable improvement and Bellingham’s return as a superior player, one of those stars whose brightness also illuminates the rest. He plays and makes others play, structuring Madrid through both ingenuity and sacrifice. He scored the goal that precipitated Mallorca’s end. That’s Madrid’s leverage. Arrasate’s team was as always – resistant, uncomfortable, combative, but unable to reach their aerial strength, Muriqi plus Larin. They have nothing to reproach themselves for, but they were notably inferior.
The defeat at San Mamés shook Madrid by the lapels and awakened them in such a way that, since then, their play is beginning to approach the quality of their squad. The improvement has been noticeable in La Liga, in the Club World Cup, and also in Jeddah. Ancelotti’s team came out charging to save time and effort, to win through abbreviation. In just fifteen minutes, they made Greif work four times with shots from Lucas Vázquez, Mbappé, Tchouameni, and Bellingham. Ancelotti had started with his classics, Mendy on the left wing and Camavinga and Valverde in the industrial belt. A belt with contraindication: it takes away the team’s fluidity in ball progression, but guarantees a permanent surveillance service to relieve the magnificent four of defensive concerns. That’s what Madrid is now, a seven plus four that guarantees excitement in both areas. In the opponent’s area, almost always. In their own, when the team is split and outnumbered at the back.
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Maffeo and Vinicius
Arrasate wasn’t impressed. He didn’t put in a third center-back, as was speculated the day before, but rather his two reference strikers, Muriqi and Larin, who have only coincided five times in the starting eleven in the League. Two tall forwards to dominate the air, presuming their great opportunity lay in set pieces. The initial kickoff ended with a high ball to the Kosovar, the purest target man in the League, a striker capable of heading a satellite. It was a statement of intent.
Everything, except for the Balearic defense’s lack of firmness in the early moments, went according to plan, including that separate match that Vinicius and Maffeo usually play. The initial whistles for the Balearic player showed that Saudi Arabia is now Arabia cañí. Then came the first foul, from the Brazilian, and the first clash: a very slight touch from Vinicius provoked a theatrical and ridiculous fainting from a great fullback who is happy in his role as the bad guy. Especially if facing a signed player with a very sensitive nervous system. Their private fight dragged everyone into a final row that Bellingham and Asensio joined. An essentially sporting match didn’t deserve it.
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The best news for Madrid was Mbappé, far from the suffering version of the first months. Sparkling, fast, daring, and finishing. He’s no longer under investigation. He only lacked a goal, like the team, which with the passing minutes was calming down without losing control of the situation except for two arrivals from Larin, who headed poorly from a good cross by Dani Rodríguez and shot without aim on a volley from the edge of the area. Lack of consistency is also a trait of this Madrid, which seems to get bored with long sieges. Not everyone. Bellingham is a 90-minute player, because he has both the game and the hierarchy. Nobody commands like him in this Madrid. He’s the boss by acclamation. Before the break, he left half a goal to Rodrygo, who couldn’t complete the puzzle. His shot ended up in the stands.
