Copa Del Rey Final: Real Madrid 1-2 Atletico Madrid: Talking points

A Copa Del Rey final is always a major event in Spain. The King himself awards the winners with their medals and like the FA Cup, the King’s cup too is richly steeped in history. When the final is between two city rivals, it makes the occasion even more interesting. And when those rivals are Real and Atletico, odds are it is going to be a spectacle. And both the Madrid teams put on a show that will not going to be forgotten anytime soon.

Here are the talking points from a pulsating derby final:

The tale of two Portugese

Two of the most high profile Portugese in the Madrid setup were shown red. The sending off of Jose Mourinho was fair. After sulking in his dugout for the majority of the game, the one time he did come out, his remonstrations were too much and he was duly sent off. The card to Ronaldo, though, was unfair to say the least. Gabi gave an Oscar-worthy performance of being injured by Ronaldo’s boot after he himself had clattered unfairly into Ronaldo.

Ronaldo’s night

CR7 scored another one of his gravity defying headers. He jumped highest to head the ball in the bottom corner. He looked to be the man who could send the Bernabeu crowd into delirium. Even other than that, he set up three of the game’s best chances. His own free kick from under the wall was both inventive and perfect, while Benzema should have scored when Ronaldo cut the ball back to him.

The star of the show

There was a galaxy of stars on display at the Santiago Bernabeu, but one star shone brightest. And that was Thibaut Courtois. A very young keeper, one could see why he is already reckoned as one of the best. He made six world class saves to keep his side in the game. For me, two struck out. The way he denied Higuain in extra time was spectacular to say the least. But what followed was pure magic. His instinctive save to deny Ozil’s close-range finish is something I have never witnessed. It was what kept them alive. The young Belgian was the undisputed Man of the Match for Atletico Madrid.

Quality of play

All through the evening, one thing stood out – the quality of football and passion on display. The Santiago Bernabeu, which was almost divided into equal zones of red and white, was a pit of passion. The players thrived off the atmosphere and displayed some brilliant football. Real were at their attacking best, as they weaved intricate passing patterns and crafted chance after chance. Atletico hung on for their lives and were the perfect underdogs. Courtois made save after save, while Juanfran cleared brilliantly off the line to keep the Los Blancos in check. Falcao was a constant threat all through the game. He made good runs, hassled Madrid’s center backs and pulled people out of position. It was because of his admirable retention of the ball and his skill on it that he could set up Costa for Atletico’s first goal.

Unsavoury end

Now, as this was a derby, it was expected that passions would be heated, and that tempers would flare. What manifested though, was a brawl of the type that is usually reserved for the El Clasico. Both benches went face to face after Ronaldo’s red card, with Karanka, Costa and Pepe the main culprits. As it could be seen clearly, Costa slapped Pepe right across his face. If there was one man from both the teams who showed any semblance of sanity, it was Iker Casillas. Ostracised and bad mouthed by Mourinho all through the season, Casillas showed his class. Befitting his status, he was the only man who kept his dignity during the whole fracas.

Shades of contrasts

Mourinho sulked in his dugout for most of the game, Simone hardly sat down. The one time Mourinho came out, he was sent off. Mourinho had at his disposal a team of world beaters. Simone did not. Simeone knew the Real team were better, yet he instilled in his team a firm self belief and confidence. Mourinho, as usual, was more focused on himself. His after-match comments again reflected his massive ego. That it was a bad season for him took precedence over the fact that it was a bad season for the club. Mourinho has won 3 trophies and missed out on La Decima thrice. Simone has taken relegation-flirters to three trophies in 18 months. I could only see one special coach last night and it was not Mourinho.