Real Madrid is set to compete against Barcelona for the Spanish Super Cup title this Sunday in Saudi Arabia.
Defending champions Barcelona secured their spot in the final with an impressive 5-0 victory over Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Real Madrid faced a tougher battle against city rivals Atlético Madrid, narrowly winning 2-1 at King Abdullah Sport City.
Federico Valverde opened the scoring with a stunning free kick in the second minute, followed by Rodrygo, who increased Real’s lead ten minutes after halftime.
Although Alexander Sorloth managed to cut the deficit just three minutes later, Atlético could not capitalize on several opportunities to level the score.
Missing from the squad was Kylian Mbappé, who is recovering from a knee injury, which also kept him out of the recent match against Real Betis. Gonzalo García filled in during his absence, although there’s a possibility the French international could rejoin the team ahead of Sunday’s match.
Real Madrid’s initial breakthrough came in spectacular fashion, with Valverde sending a powerful 30-yard free kick into the top corner after Jude Bellingham was fouled.
In the 29th minute, Rodrygo’s attempt was expertly saved low down by Jan Oblak, but for most of the first half, Atlético Madrid applied pressure, creating multiple scoring chances.
Thibaut Courtois had to make a remarkable save from Alex Baena’s powerful strike and later denied Sorloth’s header from a corner. Sorloth also missed a header from Conor Gallagher’s cross, and both Baena and Gallagher had further chances.
Despite their efforts, Atlético Madrid was unable to find an equalizer, and matters worsened for them ten minutes into the second half.
Another moment of brilliance from Real Madrid came from Rodrygo, who skillfully navigated the Atlético defense to score after receiving Valverde’s pass and finishing past Oblak.
However, Atlético responded quickly, as Sorloth capitalized on a chance set up by Giuliano Simeone at the back post.
A heated exchange on the touchline led to both Vinícius Júnior and Diego Simeone receiving yellow cards after Vinícius was substituted. Atlético’s frustration centered around their inability to find an equalizer, with attempts from Antoine Griezmann attempting an overhead kick, while Marcos Llorente and Julián Álvarez both missed narrowly as Real held on for the victory.