Valverde's last man foul on Morata that allowed Real to play the Super Cup, then won, on penalties (still image from YouTube)
GEDDA (SAUDI ARABIA) – Real Madrid won the Spanish Super Cup by beating Atletico Madrid in the final on penalties. Valverde was recognized as the best on the pitch despite an unsportsmanlike foul that cost him his expulsion. How is it possible? Valverde has stopped Morata thrown to the net with an entrance from behind that has knocked out the former Juventus striker.
Without his foul, Morata would probably have scored alone in front of the Real Madrid goalkeeper. So Valverde "saved the life" of his team by allowing it to play for the conquest of the Super Cup on penalties. Zidane and even Simeone also approved his foul.
It was a decisive tactical foul for the final result. Without his desperate entry, Morata would have appeared in front of Courtois and probably would have passed him without any problem.
Real Madrid-Atletico Madrid 4-1 after penalties: the scoreboard of the Spanish Super Cup final.
REAL MADRID (4-3-2-1): Courtois; Mendy, Sergio Ramos, Varane, Carvajal, Valverde, Casemiro, Kroos (103 ′ Vinicius), Modric, Isco (60 ′ Rodrygo), Jovic (83 ′ Mariano Diaz). Available: Areola, Militao, James Rodriguez, Rodrygo, Vinicius, Marcelo, Mariano Diaz. Manager: Zinedine Zidane.
ATHLETIC MADRID (4-4-2): Oblak; Lodi (89 ′ Llorente), Felipe, Gimenez (98 ′ Savic), Trippier, Correa, Thomas, Herrera (56 ′ Vitolo), Saul, Joao Felix (101 ′ Arias), Morata. Available: Adan, Arias, Savic, Hermoso, Llorente, Vitolo, Riquelme. Manager: Diego Simeone.
EXPULSIONS: Valverde (Real Madrid).
RECOVERY: 0 ′ in the first half, 3 ′ in the second half, 1 ′ in the first extra time, 1 ′ in the second extra time.
STADIUM: King Abdullah International Stadium (YouTube video).
Source: Blitz Quotidiano