Football Features

    “Courtois is the Spanish Super Cup hero” – Full player ratings as Real Madrid edge Atletico in Saudi Arabia

    By Ben Green

    Published: 20:54, 12 January 2020

    Real Madrid have clinched the Spanish Super Cup after beating rivals Atletico Madrid 4-1 in a penalty shootout in Saudi Arabia.

    The match took some time to get going with both sides looking rather tentative going forward, but there were moments when this intense derby threatened to spill over and offer the kind of scintillating showings that have become customary on Spanish soil.

    Unfortunately for the neutral this was not a classic, with the match finishing a goalless stalemate after 120 minutes of action. Los Blancos ultimately secured the win and Zinedine Zidane picked up his first piece of silverware since returning to the Bernabeu dugout after edging out Atleti 4-1 in a penalty shootout.

    Here’s how the players rated at the King Abdullah Sport City Stadium:

    Real Madrid

    Thibaut Courtois – 9 – An imperious performance from the Belgian shot-stopper who looked impenetrable throughout the match and then worked heroics in the shootout to help Real lift the title. He is the Spanish Super Cup hero for Real.

    Dani Carvajal – 6 – Pushed up the pitch in typical fashion and looked to offer his support in the final third in Zidane’s unconventional ‘Christmas tree’ formation.

    Sergio Ramos – 6 – Nearly at fault for an early Atleti goal as his wayward pass put the Real backline under pressure, while he also let Morata evade him in the final 10 minutes, but the Spaniard was unable to convert. The Real stalwart ultimately claimed the bragging rights as his penalty sealed the win.

    Raphael Varane – 6 – Held the fort well enough alongside Ramos for the majority of the match as Atleti scarcely threatened in regulation play, other than a few fleeting opportunities.

    Ferland Mendy – 7 – Like Carvajal, the full-back worked well when galloping up the opposing bylines to offer support for his attacking teammates. Mendy, though, was particularly impressive in attack.

    Toni Kroos – 7 – Slick and composed, the German metronome dictated the play from the centre of the pitch and recycled the ball as Real enjoyed the lion’s share of possession.

    Casemiro – 6 – Nearly broke the deadlock in the first half but his header glanced just over the bar. The Brazilian anchored the midfield diligently enough and looked to control the game with his central midfield teammates.

    Federico Valverde – 4 – The Uruguayan was impressive on the ball and looked threatening when slaloming forward, but he made a real mess of a golden chance that fell his way in the second half as his free header from just a few yards out ricocheted off his knee and went wide. He later got himself sent off, though he possibly saved his side going a goal down with what many would describe as a ‘professional foul’ on Alvaro Morata.

    Luka Modric – 6 – Kept hold of the ball and looked smart in possession, particularly as the game grew and Los Blancos started to tire, with the Croat utilising his experience to relieve any pressure building on his side and restart attacking waves.

    Isco – 6 – Real’s biggest threat in the final third while on the pitch, but Zidane opted to bring the playmaker off with 30 minutes to go. He manoeuvred well, picked the ball up in dangerous areas and created openings, though ultimately not enough to breach Atleti’s net.

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    Luka Jovic – 5 – An absolute nonentity in the first half, the Serbian marksman was totally anonymous, but partly came alive after the restart and had a few decent openings.

    Substitutes:

    Rodrygo (for Isco 60) – 7 – The Brazilian injected a new wave of creativity and impetus upon coming onto the pitch and changed the dynamic of Real’s play in the attacking third.

    Mariano Diaz (for Jovic 83) – 6 – Looked bullish and aggressive in possession and certainly brought a new dimension to Zidane’s frontline.

    Vinicius Junior (for Kroos 103) – N/A – Not enough time to really impact the game and change the tide.

    Atletico Madrid

    Jan Oblak – 6 – Made a few routine saves in the first half and commanded his box well as Real knocked on the door every now and then.

    Kieran Trippier – 7 – Had a difficult job marking Isco, Mendy and later the fleet-forward Rodrygo but largely stood up to the task well enough and played the pass of the match to Morata in the final 10 minutes of normal time and tucked home his penalty.

    Felipe – 7 – Made a number of solid aerial challenges and meanly locked up the backline to keep a clean sheet as Real hogged the ball.

    Jose Gimenez – 7 – Alongside Felipe the duo formed a strong, formidable centre-back partnership which stood defiantly against Real’s elite attacking line.

    Renan Lodi – 6 – Crunched into challenges and pushed up the pitch in manic fashion, but just lacked that key touch to lay it on a plate for Morata or Joao Felix.

    Thomas Partey – 4 – Broke the play up well when Real pushed forward, with one of two of those tactical (or cynical) fouls, but gave possession away on one too many occasions and looked reckless at times. Capped off his night with a poor penalty in the shootout.

    Hector Herrera – 5 – The Mexican looked tidy enough when on the ball but struggled to keep hold of possession as Real dominated the midfield area during his stint on the pitch.

    Angel Correa – 4 – Tried to unlock Real’s defence, but the South American came up short when it came to the final ball, while he only managed to get his first – and only – shot away in extra time.

    Saul – 6 – As industrious and dogged as ever, the reliable Spaniard tracked back when Real broke forward and looked to keep the ball ticking over for his side. An elegant performance but missed his penalty.

    Joao Felix – 5 – The Portuguese phenom was overwhelmed at times when the ball found his feet, but he did mange to showcase a few glimmers of his innate skillset and tried to make things happen – though not enough.

    Alvaro Morata – 5 – Anonymous for large spells of regulation time; when the Spaniard managed to wriggle free and find space behind Real’s defence, his shooting boots eluded him.

    Substitutes:

    Vitolo (for Herrera 56) – 5 – Added a certain flair to Atleti’s attacking during his second half and extra time showing, but just lacked the requisite touch to breach Courtois’ net.

    Marcos Llorente (for Lodi 89) – 6 – Came on and looked composed enough against his former side without producing anything too extraordinary.

    Stefan Savic (for Gimenez 98) – 5 – Substituted on for the tiring Gimenez and held his own for his brief sojourn on the turf.  

    Santiago Arias (for Felix 101) – N/A – Brought on for a brief stint in extra time.

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