Atletico face Real test in the Spanish Super Cup 2026, Madrid Derby at King Abdullah Sport City Stadium, Jeddah
Winners will take on either defending champions FC Barcelona or Athletic Bilbao in the final
Atleti's last trophy, La Liga in 2020-21, was a result of Luis Suarez's superlative performance
Diego Simeone refused to compare Julian Alvarez to former Atletico Madrid hero Luis Suarez on the eve of their Supercopa de Espana showdown with Real Madrid.
Alvarez started the 2025-26 season brightly but has since endured a downturn in form, only scoring once in his last seven appearances across all competitions and providing one assist.
Prior to this fall-off, Alvarez had contributed to 14 goals in 17 matches after the end of the Club World Cup (10 goals, four assists), six more than any other Atleti player (Giuliano Simeone had three goals and five assists).
The Supercopa could represent Atleti's best chance of winning silverware this season, given they are already 11 points adrift of leaders Barcelona in LaLiga and are not yet assured of automatic qualification for the last 16 of the Champions League.
Atleti's last trophy win came when they claimed the LaLiga title in 2020-21, helped by a series of crucial goals from Uruguay legend Suarez.
Suarez got the decisive goal in 2-1 victories over both Osasuna and Real Valladolid in the final two matchdays, helping Atleti edge out Real Madrid by two points and leading Simeone to describe those big moments as "the Luis Suarez zone".
But when asked if Alvarez lacked the big-game nous of Suarez, Simeone refused to bite.
"It is not worth repeating phrases from the past. Those come naturally, and at that moment that came out for me," he told reporters ahead of Thursday's derby in Jeddah.
"Julian has already shown the footballer he is. Many times, words are not enough, and only deeds are useful. Let's hope he has a great game."
One of Alvarez's standout performances in an Atletico shirt came when they last faced Madrid in LaLiga in September.
He became only the second Atleti player to score both a penalty and a direct free-kick in the same LaLiga match in the 21st century, after Suarez against Cadiz in January 2021, in a crushing 5-2 victory for Simeone's side.
But Simeone does not expect that statement victory to have any bearing on Thursday's semi-final tie, saying: "I always think the same thing – that every game is different.
"The match at the Metropolitano will not be related to tomorrow's game. Each one has its own virtues. We will have to play the game we believe in to continue in this competition."
Simeone was also asked if he was open to coaching in the Saudi Pro League in the future, ahead of the Supercopa's sixth staging in the country.
And the Argentine is open to that prospect, saying: "We, as coaches, can never close doors.
"We understand that football and life can change continuously. From the place I am in, I do not close any doors."
