REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov
It took a grand total of one match for Real Madrid to go into meltdown this season.
Julen Lopetegui’s new-look side had shown encouraging signs in pre-season following the shock departures of Cristiano Ronaldo and Zinedine Zidane, but that was all forgotten as Los Blancos slumped to a 4-2 defeat in the UEFA Super Cup against Atletico.
For Diego Simeone’s outfit, this was a victory which maintained their 100 percent win record in the competition and confirmed temporary bragging rights over their cross-city rivals.
It was their first win in a European final versus Real after heartbreak in Lisbon and Milan, albeit in a far less prestigious clash. With this season’s Champions League final being held at the Wanda Metropolitano, could this be the year Atletico finally lift Europe’s premier trophy?
It would be unwise to draw too many conclusions about these two teams when the regular season hasn’t even started yet, but here are five things RealSport learned from the Super Cup in Tallinn.