AAntoine Griezmann only needed one goal to become Atlético de Madrid's all-time top scorer. What better for the colchoneros than to achieve it in a derby, even if it were in Riyadh in the Spanish Super Cup. The 32-year-old Frenchman achieved it in the 37th minute of the first half after a cutback to Modric, his 17th goal of the season (the same as Bellingham and Morata), but for him the 174th of his career as a colchonero surpassing another mythical one, Luis Aragonés.
The goal made it 2-2 at that moment. However, the glory of the night would not be for the Frenchman, who could not overcome Madrid's historic resilience, exemplified in their scoring defenses. Up to three Madrid defenders, Rüdiger, Mendy and Carvajal, scored to keep Madrid alive and put them in the final after a match that was very memorable.
Griezmann's goal is the tenth that the French player has scored against Real Madrid. Of them, two with Real Sociedad and eight with Atlético. The Frenchman did not score against the whites in his two-season spell with the Blaugrana.
With Griezmann's goal, with his right foot, another curious circumstance closed. Atlético had scored the first four goals against Madrid this season with headers. The first three in the League match, on September 24 at the Metropolitano, a match that ended 3-1, with two goals from Álvaro Morata and another from Griezmann himself.
The 2-2 score broke a statistic, a striker's goal between goal-scoring defenders. The match opened with a header from Mario Hermoso on a poorly defended corner kick. Exactly the same as the tie, Modric's cross and a clean header from Rüdiger. Even stranger was Mendy's goal that made it 2-1, a delicate finish from the rugged French full-back. Mendy had scored two goals in his first season at the Bernabéu (including a great goal against Granada in Los Cármenes), but he had not scored for two seasons and reappeared after his injury.
That defenders score in this Madrid of Ancelotti is nothing new once Bellingham has lowered its scoring piston. In the match with which Madrid closed the year, the whites won in Mendizorroza with a goal from Lucas Vázquez. And with the one that opened it, with a header from Rüdiger against Mallorca.
When Madrid was at its worst came Carvajal's goal, which took the game to extra time after Kepa's own goal with the collaboration of Rüdiger. In extra time there was no longer a need for goals from the white defenders. Madrid came stronger and defined at the end.
