Atletico Madrid will be returning to the Spanish Supercup after missing out last year. Their 2-1 victory over Real Sociedad on Sunday night secured a minimum of third place, opening the gap to eight points over the Basque side.
Had La Real won, the Txuri-Urdin could still have nicked third place from Atletico with a win on the final day of the season and dropped points from Los Rojiblancos.
Yet now with third confirmed – Atletico could still make second if they better Real Madrid’s result next weekend – it has secured the participants for the Spanish Supercup, as pointed out by Marca. If Real Madrid do finish second, then as the winners of the Copa del Rey too, it will allow third place to participate, along with La Liga winners Barcelona and Copa del Rey runners-up Osasuna. The four will face off in Saudi Arabia next January in all likelihood.
While the Supercup generally isn’t regarded as a major trophy, the very prestige of the teams and players involved means managers and clubs are somewhat forced to take it seriously. This season it was a major emotional boost for Barcelona taking out Real Madrid 3-1 in the final, which ultimately spurred them on to league success.
