Real Madrid secured a hard-fought 2-1 win over rivals Atletico Madrid in the Spanish Supercopa final, to set up a final showdown against Barcelona.
Xabi Alonso’s men had lost the first meeting between both sides earlier in the season, with their city rivals claiming a stunning 5-2 win.
They started the match once again without the injured Kylian Mbappe, with hat-trick hero in their last match Gonzalo Garcia getting the nod to start.
It took only two minutes for the white side of Madrid to go ahead as Federico Valverde sent a 30-yard free kick into the top corner.
Atletico Madrid goalkeeper Jan Oblak then denied Rodrygo in the 29th minute, although his opposite number had more work to do in the half.
Thibaut Courtois kept his side in the match with several stunning saves, denying Alex Baena and Alexander Sorloth, before both players wasted further efforts to pull their sides level as Real Madrid took a one-goal lead into the break.
Rodrygo doubled Los Blancos’ lead in the 55th minute, firing a superb effort past Oblak after getting on the end of a pass from Valverde.
Atletico Madrid pulled one goal back three minutes later as Sorloth finally got past Courtois after he was found by Giuliano Simeone.
Los Rojiblancos wasted several efforts to equalize as Real Madrid held on to claim a 2-1 win to set up a fourth consecutive meeting between both sides in the final.
The La Liga champions had thrashed Athletic Bilbao 5-0 a day before, setting up another El Clasico final in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Raphinha (2), Fermin Lopez, Ferran Torres and Roony Bardghji all got on the scoresheet in the emphatic win as they eye their first trophy of the season.
Olakitan is a young writer with a strong passion for sports, having gained experience with IndyPress and Nimelssa Press. His enthusiasm for sports inspired him to cover events both within his school and beyond. With a deep understanding of the game and a refined skillset, he brings sports coverage to a broad, global audience in a way that’s engaging and accessible.
