Goodbye Septete, goodbye – AS.com

With open hand. What a disappointment in Jeddah. Losing a final is an almost forbidden expression in the daily reality of a Madridaccustomed to collecting trophies with admirable ease. This is how five titles fell in 2024 and this is how six Champions Leagues have been elevated to the sky of the Bernabéu in the last ten years. But Flick's Barça was hungrier tonight, more in need to recover the lost light after the year of the Depleted with Xavi. The Blaugrana had an ambitious game plan and knew that this Spanish Super Cup, even though it is the title with the lowest hierarchical rank, was going to give them assisted breathing and, incidentally, was going to involve their sporting enemy par excellence in an internal debate that no one imagined after the galactic summer with the arrival of Mbappé and the consolidation of Vinicius and Bellingham to form a dream attack. But in football there are variables that will never change. And look what Ancelotti warned before the debacle: “The key to the final will be to be solid in defense.” Well, nothing could be further from the truth. Back, The defense of the European champion was an infamous drain. Lamine (superb), Lewandowski and Raphinha reached Courtois with insulting ease. Not even Mbappé's initial goal changed the course of the sweep. Barça smelled blood and every attack was a headache for the Belgianwhich was enough to score several goal balls against the culé avalanche. When Barça scores nine goals in two consecutive Clásicos, all that remains is to shake their handcongratulate them for having been much superior in these two embarrassing assaults and make self-criticism to grow since the historic setback. Madrid must stop looking at its navel and assume that just having a handful of shining stars at the top is not going to achieve greater glory. In today's football you have to leave your life on the field. By the way, that's what Mbappé did. Kylian, Tibu and Valverde gave everything…

Tchouameni, never again. It is difficult for me to be critical and severe with any player who defends this shield marked throughout history with such greatness by many footballers, but Tchouameni at center no longer has a pass. The Frenchman still does not understand the secrets of the position. He positions himself poorly, he does not correct when they catch his back, he is very slow in retreating and he is not even capable of diving to cover the opponent's shots when they face him. It does not serve as a central station or even as an emergency. The fact that Raúl Asencio is the starter is already a popular cry among militant Madrid fans. I respect Ancelotti the most, but I honestly believe that with Tchouameni he is making a mistake. And Mendy is not the same as he has been in recent years. How we miss Nacho, the 'pessimistic' defender who solved so many problems for us these years.

Septet to limbo. I am so naive and I believe so much in the strength of this shirt that I was convinced that the Septete was not a chimerical challenge. I saw it as feasible, really. But this slap with Barça's open hand served to understand that it was an impossible peak to climb with this squad. That's why I think it's better to be realistic, sign a couple of defenders in this winter market and humbly return to the starting box to go with fierceness and a desire for revenge for the League, the Copa del Rey, the first World Cup. Clubs and the Champions League. Why not? Never consider this team dead…

Gracias, Szczesny. And keep in mind that it could have been much worse. Thanks to Mbappé's great game, the Frenchman sent off Szczesny with an explosive dribble that Gil Manzano had eaten. That red card stopped Barça's desire to inflict a rout on us for the newspaper library. But Rodrygo's great goal from a free kick did not continue. Only Kylian insisted. Vini was denied and Bellingham was diminished. What a disappointment. Today I'm going to have a hard time sleeping. It's hard to accept this…