Real Madrid Stars Shine in Atletico Thriller: Spectacular Strike Propels Los Blancos to El Clasico Super Cup Final

Real Madrid triumphed over city rivals Atlético Madrid with a 2-1 victory on Thursday night to secure their place in the Spanish Super Cup final, where they will meet Barcelona.

Following their heaviest Madrid derby loss in three-quarters of a century last September, Xabi Alonso's squad entered this semifinal clash hungry for revenge. Federico Valverde gave Los Blancos the perfect beginning by converting a spectacular free kick just 76 seconds after kickoff.

Rodrygo maintained his excellent form by adding a second goal for Real Madrid in the second period, assisted by Valverde. Moments later, Alexander Sørloth managed to score one back for Atlético Madrid, though it proved insufficient to spark a comeback for Diego Simeone's team.

For the fourth consecutive year, the 15-time European champions will now meet Barcelona in a Clásico final to compete for the Spanish Super Cup trophy.

Real Madrid Player Ratings vs. Atlético Madrid (4-2-3-1)

*Ratings Provided by FotMob*

GK: Thibaut Courtois—8.3: Powerless to prevent Sørloth's strike, but otherwise served as the savior between the sticks to maintain his team's advantage.

RB: Federico Valverde—8.9: Head and shoulders above everyone else. Netted a spectacular goal and provided the assist for Rodrygo's finish, all while operating in an unfamiliar position.

CB: Raúl Asencio—6.8: Will be recalled for his feeble attempt on Atlético Madrid's solitary goal. Far too easily dominated by the imposing Alexander Sørloth.

CB: Antonio Rüdiger—6.5: Threw himself into challenges in a classic display. Kept Julián Alvarez quiet; the Argentine registered no shots on target during the 69 minutes Rüdiger was on the field.

LB: Álvaro Carreras—7.0: A redemptive Madrid derby showing. Covered vast distances, neutralized Giuliano Simeone and proved utterly relentless on counter-attacks.

DM: Aurélien Tchouaméni—6.9: The mud covering virtually every part of his jersey perhaps best summarizes the Frenchman's commitment. Steadied the midfield with composure and defended like an additional center-back, before dropping deeper to actually conclude the match in central defense.

DM: Eduardo Camavinga—7.5: Assisted in keeping Los Blancos more organized in midfield. Made numerous defensive contributions that will be overlooked by many, but not by Alonso.

RW: Rodrygo—7.9: The most threatening forward on the field for both teams. Appeared capable of altering the match with a single burst whenever he received possession. Tormented Matteo Ruggeri.

AM: Jude Bellingham—7.3: His awareness and effort remain unmatched within the squad. Delivered a complete performance that highlighted his precise passing and remarkable intelligence.

LW: Vinicius Junior—6.9: Failed in his duel with Marcos Llorente. Predictable movements, wasteful finishing and careless defending characterized his evening. Boos would certainly have rained down on him at the Bernabéu.

ST: Gonzalo García—6.8: Invisible. Lost the majority of duels in the match, failed to register a single attempt and generated no opportunities.

Subs not used: Andriy Lunin (GK), Dani Carvajal, David Alaba, David Jiménez, Dean Huijsen, Thiago Pitarch.

Atlético Madrid (4-2-3-1)

Starting XI: Jan Oblak; Marcos Llorente, Marc Pubill, Dávid Hancko, Matteo Ruggeri; Giuliano Simeone, Conor Gallagher, Koke, Álex Baena; Alexander Sørloth, Julián Alvarez.

Subs used: Robin Le Normand, Antoine Griezmann, Johnny Cardoso, Thiago Almada, Nahuel Molina.

Player of the Match: Fede Valverde (Real Madrid)

Atlético Madrid 1–2 Real Madrid—How It Developed at Alinma Bank Stadium

Alonso's team enjoyed an ideal beginning in Jeddah, establishing the lead within two minutes of the opening whistle. Jude Bellingham earned his team a free kick in a threatening area, and Valverde approached the set piece with his eyes on goal, despite being 25 yards away.

Following his run-up, the Uruguayan delivered a magnificent right-footed strike that bypassed Atlético Madrid's wall and thundered into the net. The force, accuracy and positioning of the free kick brought memories of strikes completed by the legendary Roberto Carlos.

The spectacular goal provided Real Madrid with an early advantage, but Simeone's team quickly recovered and settled into the match, enjoying extended periods of control that left players in white pursuing the ball. Similar to much of the Carlo Ancelotti period, the 15-time European champions appeared satisfied to retreat and await their opportunity to strike on the break.

Los Blancos nearly accomplished exactly that through a lightning run from Álvaro Carreras along the right wing after he collected a failed corner kick from Atlético Madrid. The side of the field made no difference to the fullback, however, as he surged forward and released Rodrygo through on goal.

The Brazilian completed all the difficult work to send his defender tumbling, creating ample time and space within the penalty area to seal Real Madrid's second in the 28th minute. However, Rodrygo hurried his attempt and delivered a tame effort straight at Jan Oblak.

Simeone's team had several half-opportunities to level the score, but a crucial block from Antonio Rüdiger and a classic save from Thibaut Courtois prevented Atlético Madrid from scoring in the first 45 minutes.

Despite an energetic beginning from Los Colchoneros in the second period, it was Real Madrid who found the net next. Valverde located Rodrygo with an intelligent pass from the right wing, and once more, the winger was racing clear. A superb first touch carried him beyond Robin Le Normand and all that remained was a composed, right-footed finish to extend his team's lead to 2–0 in the 55th minute.

To Alonso's frustration, his players only maintained their two-goal advantage for three minutes. Giuliano Simeone delivered a precise cross to the back post, where Alexander Sørloth overpowered Raúl Asencio to nod home Atlético Madrid's first goal.

The fierce rivals exchanged attacks at both ends of the field as the match progressed, but poor finishing from the two Madrid-based clubs maintained the scoreline at 2–1. Julián Alvarez came nearest to finding the target in added time, but the Argentine dragged a golden opportunity wide, concluding Los Colchoneros' Spanish Super Cup ambitions.

Atlético Madrid vs. Real Madrid Halftime Stats

Atlético Madrid vs. Real Madrid Full Time Statistics