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Super Cup loss may push Real Madrid to make a big signing - Graham Hunter

Graham Hunter joined Thursday's Off the Ball to look back at Atletico Madrid's win in the Europea...



Super Cup loss may push Real M...
Soccer

Super Cup loss may push Real Madrid to make a big signing - Graham Hunter

Graham Hunter joined Thursday's Off the Ball to look back at Atletico Madrid's win in the European Super Cup. 

Given Real Madrid's dominance in recent years and with Julien Lopetegui replacing Zinedine Zidane in the summer, pressure is already mounting on the new manager after the loss to their bitter rivals. 

"There's a great deal of coverage in the Madrid press today and there was last night on the radio and television about it," Hunter told Dave McIntyre. "I mean the host broadcaster in Spain immediately asked if it means they've got to go out and sign now. 

"There are people already sort of saying 'Lopetegui's on the back foot' - fine. Again, for those who weren't paying full attention or didn't watch, let's bear in mind that once Diego Costa puts Atleti 1-0 up, Madrid absolutely dominate. 

"And, what's more, for 43 minutes of the first half and for a good 15/20 minutes of the second half - they actually play outstanding football. 

"If you can bottle and roll out over the remainder of the domestic season at least - the passing, the movement, the commitment, the tension, the creativity and the cutting edge that Madrid showed in going from 1-0 down to 2-1 up, then they'll win the title. 

"The sad thing is that two influences crashed into each other. At a point where Atleti were attacking for the first time in some 20 minutes, Marcelo kept the ball in on the far left-hand touchline, for no good reason - not only kept it in but flipped it back over his own head such that Atleti had the perfect set-up for Correa, a sub - an impact man, to beat a player and get to the byline and even though he knocks it with his bad foot out of his own reach - he somehow gets there quickly with his right foot and hooks it back and it's stabbed in by Costa. That was impact number one.

"And, impact number two was Atleti, because more of their players have been back longer because they've got this famous Professor Ortega, their fitness guy, more of their players were fit for the remainder of extra time and normal time and Madrid fell away. 

"That won't happen throughout the season. And I have to emphasise: Atleti won it, it is historic. When Simeone came and they hadn't beaten Real Madrid since 1999 - he beat them in the league, he beat them in the cup final, he beat them in the Spanish Super Cup.

"The only thing that was missing was knocking them out of Europe or beating them in Europe - he's added that. It's dangerous now for Lopetegui and it adds to our idea that the continuity of Griezman staying and of Godin staying and Oblak choosing to stay and the additions of Lemar and Kalinic - there's quality additions in every department.

"All of that says 'This is a big impact on Real Madrid' and maybe they go and do one more big piece of business before the market closes," he added.

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