Real Madrid booked a place in the Spanish Super Cup final after a 2-1 win over Atletico Madrid in Jeddah on Thursday. The semi-final was tight and tense. The result sets up a Clasico final against Barcelona.
Madrid took control early. Fede Valverde struck a powerful free-kick inside two minutes. Rodrygo Goes added a second after the break. Atletico responded through Alexander Sorloth, but it was not enough.
The win made it five in a row for Madrid in all competitions. It also eased pressure on coach Xabi Alonso, whose side had struggled late in 2025. Results have improved in recent weeks, even if performances still divide opinion.
Madrid had already beaten Barcelona in Alonso’s first Clasico in October. A dip followed, but the team looks steadier now.
“After so many games without scoring, today was a great game to get back to it, to help the team win,” Valverde told Movistar after his first goal of the season.
“We have to keep being self-critical too, we had chances but they had more and played much better than us, we have to keep correcting that and improving.”
Alonso disagreed with that view.
“It’s a semi-final, having scored early gives you that advantage that you want to defend,” said the coach.
“There were phases where we were defending but the objective was to go through to the final, and we’re happy to be playing that on Sunday.”
Madrid played without Kylian Mbappe, who is recovering from a knee sprain. Alonso kept young striker Gonzalo Garcia in the middle after his recent hat-trick.
Atletico had beaten Madrid 5-2 in September, but this meeting was much closer. Valverde’s free-kick flew through the wall and past Jan Oblak. The power beat the goalkeeper despite a touch.
Madrid then sat deeper and waited. They hit on the counter when space opened. Oblak saved well from Rodrygo before the break.
Atletico pushed back. Madrid keeper Thibaut Courtois tipped away a Sorloth header. The striker then missed another close chance.
Rodrygo made it 2-0 in the 55th minute. He broke through the middle and finished calmly. It was his third goal in five games after a long drought earlier in the season.
Atletico replied three minutes later. Sorloth headed in from a Giuliano Simeone cross after creating a little space.
“Valverde scored a great goal, it was an extraordinary free-kick,” said Atletico coach Diego Simeone. “Despite that my team played very well, but we had to win and didn’t, they had the quality to be able to finish (their chances).”
Late on, Simeone exchanged words with Vinicius Junior as the winger was substituted. Vinicius has now gone 16 games without scoring.
“I didn’t like that, I saw (Simeone) said something to Vinicius, and for me that goes against the respect that you should have for opponents… you can’t just do anything (you want),” said Alonso.
Madrid will face Barcelona on Sunday at the King Abdullah Sports City stadium. The Catalans reached the final after a 5-0 win over Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday.
