Atletico de Madrid defeated FC Barcelona by 3-2 in the semi-final of Supercopa de Espana as Diego Simeoni’s men sparked an eye-catching comeback.
Atletico Madrid’s memorable triumph against Ernesto Valverde’s Barcelona in the semi-final tie means they will face Real Madrid to set up an intriguing Madrid Derby in the final.
The game was a tale of two halves and all the drama was produced in the second one. Koke broke the deadlock for Atletico while Lionel Messi equalized from a stellar right-footed finish. It was Atletico Madrid’s former player Antoine Griezmann who gave the Blaugrana giants a lead with a tidy header. However, Atletico Madrid did spark a comeback as Morata scored from the penalty spot on the 81st-minute mark while Angel Correa bagged the winner with four minutes left of normal time. VAR played its part too, as it ruled out a goal scored by Pique via an assist from Vidal which attracted huge controversy.
Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone was pleased by the performance put by his players.
“We played a tough game, we started well in the first 10 minutes and then they were superior,” He said in the report quoted by Mundo Deportivo.
“We always have the plan of trying to play our game, but the opponent is very good. Messi had one more step. When he had the ball it seemed that something was going to happen.
“We talked at half-time and we started with a goal that gave us strength, but they quickly got level with us.
“The two goals came and two disallowed (for Barca), and with it a disturbing offensive game rhythm. Changing (Marcos) Llorente and the position of Correa upfront gave us more options.
“And in the 76th minute, another team was seen, with strong legs, which showed that we could win.”
Looking ahead of a Supercopa de Espana final showdown against Real Madrid, Diego Simeoni said,
“We are going to play a final against a team that made a fantastic match, even with the absence of (Gareth) Bale and (Karim) Benzema.
“They responded in a very good way, with a very nice game. Madrid has mobility, speed, and precision. They play to win. Sunday will be a tough game.”
