Real Madrid secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory over city rivals Atletico Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup semi-final on Thursday, setting up a highly anticipated El Clasico final against Barcelona. Played at the King Abdullah Sports City stadium in Jeddah, the match saw Fede Valverde open the scoring with a thunderous free kick in just the second minute, followed by a clinical finish from Rodrygo Goes in the second half. Atletico pulled one back through Alexander Sorloth's header, but Madrid held firm to claim their fifth consecutive win across all competitions under coach Xabi Alonso.

The breakthrough came early when Valverde stepped up for a free kick after a foul near the edge of the box. His powerful, dipping strike flew past a poorly positioned wall, caught Jan Oblak's hand but still rocketed into the net, marking the Uruguayan midfielder's first goal of the season. Valverde celebrated passionately, slapping his head in delight after enduring a difficult campaign so far. Madrid then adopted a deeper, counter-attacking approach, forcing Atletico to chase the game. Rodrygo doubled the lead in the 55th minute, bursting through the heart of the defense and calmly slotting past Oblak for his third goal in five matches.

Atletico responded quickly, with Norwegian forward Alexander Sorloth heading in Giuliano Simeone's cross just three minutes later, giving the defender Raul Asencio a slight nudge that went unpunished. The Rojiblancos pushed hard for an equalizer in the closing stages, creating several chances. Thibaut Courtois made key saves, including an acrobatic stop from Antoine Griezmann, while Marcos Llorente fired a shot wide and Julian Alvarez sent a late effort across the face of goal. Despite their efforts, Atletico could not force extra time, ending their hopes of silverware in the tournament.

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With Kylian Mbappe sidelined due to a knee sprain, Alonso retained young striker Gonzalo Garcia up front following his hat trick against Real Betis days earlier. The victory came after a period of uncertainty for Alonso, who had faced pressure following inconsistent results late in 2025. The team has since regained momentum, including an earlier win over Barcelona in October. Valverde, speaking post-match, highlighted the importance of self-criticism despite the result, noting Atletico had created more opportunities, but Madrid capitalized on theirs.

Real Madrid will now face Barcelona in the final on Sunday, promising another intense Clasico showdown. Barcelona advanced convincingly after thrashing Athletic Bilbao 5-0 in their semi-final. The Spanish Super Cup has once again delivered drama, with Madrid's resilience and individual brilliance from Valverde and Rodrygo proving decisive in a tightly contested derby.

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