Jeddah, January 9, 2026 – Real Madrid defeated Atletico Madrid 2-1 in the Spanish Super Cup semifinal on Thursday to book a place in the final against Barcelona. Federico Valverde and Rodrygo scored for Real Madrid at King Abdullah Sports City, while Alexander Sorloth pulled one back for Atletico.
The win sets up an El Clásico final on Sunday between Real Madrid and Barcelona. Real Madrid extended their winning streak to five matches across all competitions with this victory. Xabi Alonso’s side will face Hansi Flick’s Barcelona in a repeat of last year’s final.
Valverde opened the scoring just two minutes into the match with a powerful free kick from 25 yards. The Uruguay midfielder struck the ball with force past Jan Oblak, who got a slight touch but could not keep it out. The goal marked Valverde’s first of the season after months playing out of position at right back due to injuries.
Rodrygo doubled the lead in the 55th minute after Valverde threaded a pass through Atletico’s defence. The Brazilian broke clear and calmly finished past Oblak to make it 2-0. Rodrygo has now scored three goals in his last five games after a difficult campaign last season.
Atletico responded three minutes later when Giuliano Simeone crossed to the back post for Sorloth. The Norwegian striker beat Raul Asencio in the air to head home and cut the deficit to 2-1. The goal gave Atletico hope that they could make the game go into extra time.
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Late Atletico Pressure
Atletico worked hard to tie the game in the last few minutes, but they couldn’t do it. To keep Real Madrid’s lead, Thibaut Courtois made several vital saves. The Belgian goalkeeper denied Antoine Griezmann’s acrobatic effort and stopped a long-range shot from Julian Alvarez. Marcos Llorente also came close with two attempts that went just wide.
Real Madrid played without Kylian Mbappe, who missed his second straight game with a left knee sprain. Dani Carvajal and Trent Alexander-Arnold also remained out injured. The absences forced Valverde to continue playing at right back instead of his natural midfield role.
Barcelona Await in the Final
Barcelona reached the final after thrashing Athletic Bilbao 5-0 in Wednesday’s semifinal. The Clasico final will take place on Sunday at the same venue in Jeddah. Barcelona won last year’s Super Cup final 5-2 against Real Madrid in a one-sided contest.
The two teams last met in the Super Cup final in January 2025, when Barcelona dominated the match. Real Madrid will look to reverse that result and claim the trophy under Alonso. The Spanish coach has faced criticism this season for inconsistent results, but his team has found better form in recent weeks.
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Atletico midfielder Koke Resurreccion set a new record by playing his 44th Madrid derby. The 34-year-old surpassed former Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos for the most appearances in matches between the city rivals. Atletico had beaten Real Madrid 5-2 when the teams met in La Liga back in September.
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