In Jeddah the Blancos win and will face Barcelona. Xabi Alonso defends the Brazilian: “What Cholo said to my player goes beyond sport. There are limits that cannot be overcome, he did it”
The Arabs pay 51 million euros a year to the Spanish Football Federation to host the Spanish Super Cup with a hope that is an obsession: to attend a Clásico. And one way or another they are satisfied: on Sunday evening in Jeddah for the fourth consecutive year Barcelona and Real Madrid will play for the least important trophy of the season, Barça won in 2023 and 2025, Madrid in 2024.
xabi cholist
—
Xabi Alonso’s team yesterday won the derby 2-1 against Atletico in a very open and closed match with the players with their tongues hanging out, destroyed by the heat and fatigue. The Basque coach continues to push away a dismissal that has been in the air for weeks and remains there like a toxic cloud that the wind is unable to chase away. Because this Madrid football is a light breeze, not even a breeze: few ideas, no game. yesterday Valverde, Tchouameni, Carreras and Mendy, with Fran, the third left side on the pitch, sent to the wing.
wines and cholo
—
Because Xabi called Vinicius back again, terrible as often happens to him lately: for the Brazilian 19 games without scoring, 16 with Madrid and 3 with Brazil, transparent in defense and protagonist only when he argued with a lively Cholo. Simeone approached the Brazilian in the first half and told him: “Remember what I tell you, Florentino will chase you away.” Vini laughed. But when he left the stadium in Jeddah he blew the whistle, exactly as happens at the Bernabeu. And the Cholo, old thoroughbred provocateur, called Vini and put his finger to his ear: “Listen, listen” in reference to the public’s verdict.
the goals
—
In the championship, Atletico went behind at the Metropolitano but then won 5-2. Yesterday Valverde scored his first goal of the season with a missile from a free kick: a trajectory as straight as the blade of a knife, because Oblak placed the barrier badly. The Slovenian goalkeeper made a great save on Rodrygo, Vini ate a goal that seemed to have been scored, Atletico asked for a penalty for a hand from Rudiger who did not benefit from any replay and wasted some very favorable situations. And at the start of the second half the always excellent Valverde launched Rodrygo who took advantage of the soft Le Normand for a goal that would prove decisive. For the less glamorous Brazilian, 3 goals in 6 games after 32 games without finding the net. Three minutes later the indomitable Giuliano Simeone put the ball on Sorloth’s head to make it 2-1, with the Norwegian dominating Asencio. Oblak again on Rodrygo in the only flash of a Madrid deployed in a very low block, nice turn by Griezmann and off to the end with Los Blancos with their eyes anxiously fixed on the clock. The Arabs want the Clásico, and Clásico it will be. And Mbappé will also try, who will fly to Jeddah today to understand if he can be part of the match.
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED