Atletico captain talks Real Madrid, Alvarez, Mbappe ahead of Super Cup semifinal

Real Madrid will take on Atletico Madrid in the semifinal of the Spanish Super Cup tomorrow, in what will be a must-win game for Xabi Alonso.

Alonso’s team suffered a fatal 5-2 defeat at the hands of Atletico Madrid during the first half of the season. But his team will seek retribution against Diego Simeone’s men this week and seal a place in the Super Cup final.

Heading into this high-stakes encounter, Atletico Madrid captain Koke talked about Real Madrid as an opponent, as well as other star players.

What Koke said ahead of Real Madrid vs Atleti

Speaking to the press ahead of the encounter, Koke talked about his legacy in the Madrid derby, as he is going to be the player with the most official derbies played in history.

“I haven’t thought about it. It’s always special to play a derby, to play a semifinal, because you never know when you’ll play another one. There’s not much more motivation than that. I always try to be as mentally strong and do what the team needs.

“That’s my biggest motivation, to help the team beat whoever the opponent is. In a semifinal against Real Madrid, there’s not much more motivation than that,” he said.

Koke talked about Julian Alvarez, the undisputed leader of the Atletico Madrid attack, who will play a key role in nullifying the Real Madrid backline.

However, the Argentine has faced flak recently for his poor form. Koke, though, didn’t hesitate to back the player.

“Great footballers are held to a very high standard. Not just Julian, but all of them, in order to achieve their goals.

Koke has backed Julian Alvarez ahead of the Real Madrid clash. (Photo by Judit Cartiel/Getty Images)

“I’m sure that great players like him will step up when they’re needed most. It’s an important day, and I hope he has the same luck as in the Metropolitano derby,” he said.

Koke was also asked about whether or not Atletico Madrid miss the presence of aggressive players like Gabi or Diego Costa in the team.

“Everyone is different. Cycles are different, obviously. That period was spectacular, but football is constantly changing.

“What I have to say is that tomorrow is a semifinal against Real Madrid and we’re going to give it our all to get through, because we want to win this title,” he replied.

When differentiating between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid, Koke offered a rather diplomatic response.

“Both teams know each other; we had a friendly match and played a great game, but every derby is different. A lot can happen: red cards, injuries. We’ll have a clear game plan. We’re going to stick to it completely. It’s the only way: to give 100%,” he said.

Finally, the Atletico Madrid captain was asked whether or not the potential absence of Kylian Mbappe would serve as a boost for Atleti.

“We know his level, everything that entails; he’s one of the best in the world. I’ll tell you tomorrow after the match if it changes,” he concluded.

Source: AS