Spanish Super Cup: Real Madrid 1-1 Atletico Madrid

Atletico Madrid kickstarted their 2014/15 campaign with a 1-1 draw away to Real Madrid in the first leg of the Spanish Super Cup. Substitute James Rodriguez looked to have scored the winner in the 81st minute, but Raul Garcias 88th minute strike meant that both sides gointo the second leg on Friday with the tie hanging in the balance.Here are fivemajor talking points from the game.

#1 The fans dont want to let go of Angel Di Maria

For fans to root for a player, he needs to possess an undying spirit and a willingness to win above and beyond the prodigious talent he possess with the ball at his feet. At Real Madrid, there is currently one player that the fans are desperate to hold onto as he has all of the aforementioned qualities. When Luka Modric came off, there was a huge roar, not because he had a bad game but because of the arrival of Di Maria.

The Man of the Match in the side’s Champions League final triumph came on to rapturous applause and changed the entire complexion of the game. As soon as he came there was pace and dynamism injected into the attack. However, for all of his good work, he might well be sold, to Manchester United if they can stump up the €60 million that Real Madrid demand. The club need to balance their books and do to so they must sell him and given the plethora of options in midfield and attack, the Argentine winger seems to be expendable. But both the fans and the coach both hold the player in high regard, but none of that will matter if owner Florentino Perez decides to sell him.

#2 Referee had an abysmal game

Games between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid rarely pass without an incident and the first leg of the Spanish Super Cup was no different. Although there were tackles flying in left, right and centre, it was by no means a dirty game. Even then, the referee had a shocker. While he did book people early in the game, the further the game went on the worse his decisions became.

Left back Guilherme Siqueira shouldve been sent off for two bad lunges on Gareth Bale but was only given a yellow before he was substituted. Real Madrid shouldve had a penalty late in the game for a blatant hand ball, which wasnt given. The referees worst decision was to not send off Sergio Ramos after the Spaniard punched the Croatian striker Mario Mandzukic, who fell on him accidentally after leaping for the ball.

#3 Toni Kroos looks like a bargain

When you spend over 20m on a player, even if he is on the final year of his contract, it is highly unlikely that he will ever come to be regarded as a bargain. But if Toni Kroos manages to keep up his performances, then there is no doubt that he will soon fetch two or three times the money Real Madrid paid for him. Against Atletico, Kroos displayed his versatility as he completed 90 minutes and announced himself to the Bernabeu with a bang.

Although it was 63m man James Rodriguez who got the goal, it was Kroos who had the better game between the two debutants. Kroos started the game as the more advanced of the three-man central midfield, but finished it as a deep-lying playmaker alongside Alonso. Irrespective of where he played, the German midfielder displayed bundles of energy and a terrific eye for a pass. His only blemish was shooting over the bar with the goal gaping. Apart from that, his versatility means that Ancelotti can change formations even during a game, making this already deadly side even more potent.

#4 Players have changed but Atletico haven\'t

After the departure of Thibaut Courtois, Fillipe Luis and Diego Costa to Chelsea, many believed that Atletico will struggle to recapture the form that they displayed last season when they reached the Champions League final and claimed the League title. But on the evidence of their display against Real Madrid it looks as though nothing much has changed.

While it is true that there are several new faces now in the Atletico dressing room, the intensity and commitment is still there. The way the team approaches the game seems to be the same and testament to this was the performance of new signing Mandzukic. Although the Croatian could’ve done better with a couple of his shots, he made some crucial tackles in his own area preventing Real from counter-attacking with pace. In the end, even when it looked like the game was gone, they scored to show that the team can still grind out results and the never-say-die attitude hasn’t diminished at all.

#5 Ronaldo\'s injury a cause for concern

It looks as though the reigning Ballon d’Or winner has started the new season just how he finished the previous one- hampered by injury. Cristiano Ronaldo was on the periphery of the game in the first half and rumours of him carrying an injury were proven right when he didn’t emerge in the second half. After the game, coach Ancelotti said the 29-year-old was removed because he "had a strain” and “was not comfortable” after the first half.

Although the Italian did say that it wasn’t serious, things certainly looks ominous for Los Blancos. Ronaldo has been suffering from April with a tendinosis problem in his left knee, and it looks to have flared up yet again. Just when it looked as though his fitness woes were behind him, after his double-strike in last week's European Super Cup win over Sevilla, it clearly looks as though the situation isn’t as good as once believed. While they certainly have plenty of other options, the loss of their talisman is sure to come as a blow.