Atletico Madrid 1-0 (2-1) Real Madrid: Ending the curse

Playing tightly and with focus, the Atletico players slammed shut the Vicente Calderon gates against the "White Eagles". And with just a lightning-fast strike from Mandzukic, they won the Spanish Super Cup, leaving Real Madrid heartbroken.

Atletico made two changes from the first leg, with midfielder Tiago and new signing Antoine Griezmann starting in place of Mario Suarez and Saul. Meanwhile, on the Real Madrid side, Raphael Varane and James Rodriguez started in place of Pepe and Cristiano Ronaldo, who were on the bench.

Mandzukic celebrates the only goal.

With the home advantage, Atletico quickly established dominance in the opening minutes, and before Real could even formulate their tactics, they conceded the first goal. Just 81 seconds into the game, in a quick counter-attack, goalkeeper Moya delivered a powerful pass, followed by a delicate header from Griezmann to Mandzukic, who unleashed a powerful shot that beat goalkeeper Casillas.

From that moment on, the home team at Vicente Calderon held the fate of the match in their hands. Real were unable to showcase their fast-paced style of play – their greatest strength at this time – even with superstars like Bale and James on the field. Atletico's core from the previous season, with a focus on the midfield, was still utilized to its fullest potential by coach Diego Simeone.

In the 26th minute, coach Simeone was sent off for his hot temper towards the referees. However, this did not seem to affect Atletico's very disciplined performance. Three minutes earlier, goalkeeper Moya proved he was a worthy replacement for Thibaut Courtois with an excellent save against James' low shot into the right corner.

In the second half, coach Carlo Ancelotti brought on Ronaldo, Isco, and Marcelo in an attempt to revitalize Real's play, but everything remained under Atletico's control. In this match, Raul Garcia continued to demonstrate his influence in the midfield, along with Gabi and Tiago, forming a superb midfield brain that helped Atletico thwart all of Real's attacking intentions from the outset.

Ronaldo's presence didn't make Real Madrid play more proactively or press more, as the Portuguese player didn't seem fully fit after his injury. Luka Modric's second yellow card in injury time was the most typical example of the deadlock in the white-shirted team's play in this match. Meanwhile, with a bit more luck, Atletico could have won by a larger margin, as the crossbar denied Koke a goal in the 49th minute.

Atletico brilliantly preserved their slender advantage until the very last minutes. This was Los Rojiblancos' first victory against Los Blancos at Vicente Calderon since June 1999. More importantly, it secured Atletico's fifth league title under Simeone's reign, further solidifying their status as unassailable champions this season.

Starting lineup:

Atletico Madrid (4-3-2-1):Moya; Juanfran, Miranda, Godin, Siqueira; Tiago, Gabi; Koke, Griezmann, Raul Garcia; Mandzukic.

Real Madrid (4-3-3):Casillas; Carvajal, Varane, Ramos, Coentrao; Modric, Kroos, Alonso; Bale, Ronaldo, James.

According to nguoiduatin