Karim Benzema praises former Real Madrid teammate as Los Blancos win UEFA Super Cup
Real Madrid legend Karim Benzema has praised Vinicius Junior's performance in the UEFA Super Cup final against Atlanta on August 14. Under a post announcing their 2-0 triumph over the Italian club, Benzema wrote "Vini N1."
The final started with both teams evenly matched, but the balance shifted towards Los Blancos as the game progressed. They had Rodrygo, Vinicius Jr, and Kylian Mbappe as the front three, with Jude Bellingham connecting the attack and midfield.
Although Atalanta were able to keep the big names quiet in the first half, the momentum completely shifted in the second. Jude Bellingham and Vinicius combined before the Brazilian winger laid the ball on a platter for Federico Valverde as Real Madrid opened the scoring in the 59th minute.
In the 68th minute, Kylian Mbappe scored his first goal for the club, which was assisted by Bellingham. The Englishman found Mbappe with a brilliant pass and the latter didn't disappoint with the finish.
The 2-0 win marked a record sixth UEFA Super Cup victory for Real Madrid.
Real Madrid legend predicts that the club will make 'big sales' in 2025
With the recent arrival of Kylian Mbappe and Endrick, the Real Madrid forward line looks extremely saturated. Los Blancos already have Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo, Arda Guler, and Brahim Diaz fighting for a place in the attack.
Jude Bellingham, who was prolific for Los Blancos last season, will probably have to play as a more traditional midfielder in the 2024-25 season. Amid the intense competition for spots, Real Madrid veteran Predrag Mijatovic has predicted big sales for the club next summer.
In an interview with Cadena SER, he said:
“Knowing a little bit about how Real Madrid manages everything it has been doing these years, with very good sales, I don’t rule out seeing something like that [big sales].”
Mijatovic also commented on the club's transfer policy and said that Real Madrid won't force any player to stay if they aren't comfortable.
“I’m not saying it will definitely happen. It also depends on the footballer himself. If a player doesn’t feel comfortable, isn’t happy and internally asks to leave in some fashion, Madrid have nothing against it. Next year there will be big sales for sure, several, or at least it’s very probable that there will be,” said Mijatovic.
According to reports, Vinicius Junior received a contract offer worth €1 billion (across five years) from Saudi Arabia this summer. However, the Brazilian winger has reportedly rejected the advances.