Just three minutes into the match, Yang Yang scored, and Real Madrid got off to an incredibly smooth start at Calderon Stadium.
After taking the lead, the Galácticos were even more fired up, continuing to press and hound Atletico Madrid relentlessly.
The midfield trio of David Silva, Modrić, and Toni Kroos was truly outstanding at controlling possession and organizing attacks. They orchestrated wave after wave of offense for the forwards, almost pinning Atletico Madrid in their own half.
For the first thirty minutes, Real Madrid's possession was close to seventy-five percent, and they completely controlled the match. The Mattress Makers were forced to retreat into their penalty area. It was not until the thirty-seventh minute that Griezmann produced the first threatening shot of the match, but it was only a long-range effort from outside the box and lacked power.
The statistics could not fully reflect the gap between the two teams on the pitch. Real Madrid completely controlled the match and its tempo, while Atletico Madrid could only passively respond. One crucial reason was that although Atletico Madrid's 4-4-2 Formation had four midfielders, they were completely outmatched by Real Madrid's three-man midfield.
With their overall advantage and control of possession, Real Madrid's two flanks pushed forward aggressively, further bolstering the team's attacking firepower. They kept producing successive shots, leaving the area in front of Atletico Madrid's goal tense and dangerous.
The Mattress Makers defended with extraordinary tenacity. Almost the entire team retreated into the box and stubbornly withstood all the pressure, resisting Real Madrid's attacks. On top of that, Oblak put on a miraculous performance and somehow gave Real Madrid no further chance to score.
The midfield was not the only area that performed well. In defense, the center-back pairing of Varane and Ramos also played exceptionally well. Varane in