James Rodriguez scored a deflected goal from short range to give Real Madrid a lead in the final 10 minutes, but Atlético Madrid's Raúl García answered with two minutes left to earn a draw for the visitors. The two teams will meet again on Friday at the Vicente Calderón in the second leg of the Spanish Super Cup.
Real Madrid vs. Atletico Madrid: Final score 1-1, Raúl García scores a late away goal for Atléti
James Rodriguez scored late to give Real Madrid a lead, but Raúl García answered to give Atléti a draw and an away goal.
Thanks to García’s late goal, Los Colchoneros will have a slight advantage in the decider on Friday as a result of thier away goal.
While the first half was devoid of any goals, it did feature plenty of physical play between two of Spanish football’s biggest rivals. The two sides combined to commit 17 fouls and three yellow cards.
The only really great chance for a goal came in the 41st minute when Gareth Bale lifted a cross into the Atléti area that found Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese striker was able to go up unmarked, but his header was off target.
Ronaldo left the match at halftime, most likely to limit his minutes as he continues to work back towards fitness after leg injury issues that plagued him during the end of last season and the World Cup.
Real Madrid came close in the 48th minute when Dani Carvajal found Bale making a run into the right side of the Atléti box. Bale danced past a defender and put a low shot on frame that was blocked by Miguel Ángel Moya.
The physical play continued in the second half when Sergio Ramos tangled with new Atléti striker Mario Mandžukić. Mandžukić came down on top of the Real Madrid defender after they both went up the ball, and the always volatile Ramos hit Mandžukić with a punch as they were on the ground. Both players received yellow cards, and neither was particularly enamored with the other for the rest of the match.
Moya came up with another big save in the 69th minute when he parried away a short range free kick from Bale. The massive rebound went right to Toni Kroos, who tried an off-balance shot that went flying well over the crossbar.
Finally in the 81st minute, Real Madrid broke through on a chaotic scramble in the box. Diego Godín couldn’t clear a loose ball, managing only to send it right to Rodriguez, who was lurking, eight yards out. His shot took a sizable deflection off an Atléti player and got past Moya to make it 1-0.
Atléti fought back and in the 88th minute they grabbed a crucial away goal, evening the match at 1-1. Mario Suarez headed Koke's corner kick across the face of goal from the near post where Raùl García was waiting. The forward got just enough of a touch on the ball to direct it in the empty net past a frozen Iker Casillas.
Real Madrid: Casillas, Carvajal, Pepe, Ramos, Marcelo, Alonso, Kroos, Modrić (Di María 78’), Ronaldo (Rodriguez 46’), Benzema, Bale
Goals: Rodriguez (81’)
Atlético Madrid: Moya, Juanfran, Miranda, Godín, Siqueira (Ansaldi 64'), Suárez, Gabi, Koke, Ñiguez (Griezmann 57'), Raúl García, Mandžukić (Jiménez 78')
Goals: García (88’)
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