XABI ALONSO SECURES HIS FIRST MADRID FINAL AFTER A 2-1 THRILLER IN JEDDAH
Xabi Alonso’s Real Madrid survived a 2-1 derby win over Atlético in Jeddah. See how Valverde’s stunner set up a Clásico final.
Real Madrid hung on to win, sending Xabi Alonso to the final. The pressure was on in Jeddah, but it's off for now. Instead of getting fired, Alonso might win a medal after a tense month where Real edged out Atlético 2-1. Goals from Fede Valverde and Rodrygo set up Sunday's Super Cup game against Barcelona—a must-win situation.
Something unusual happened in Saudi Arabia: a Madrid derby final didn't go to extra time for the first time under Diego Simeone. It was still close. Even though Madrid scored early, Atlético's chance to tie the game and force penalties slipped away in the final seconds. Julián Alvarez almost got the ball to Antoine Griezmann, but his shot missed the mark. With that miss, Atlético's hopes disappeared.
Another loss to Real was tough to swallow and hard to explain. Atlético took 22 shots but trailed from the start. Gonzalo García, a 21-year-old replacing Kylian Mbappé, passed to Jude Bellingham within the first minute. Conor Gallagher challenged him, and Real got a free kick. Valverde then blasted in the opener.
Valverde's great shot from 25 yards flew past Alex Sørloth and into the net. It wasn't perfectly placed, but Jan Oblak couldn't reach it in time.
Real took the lead, but Atlético took control, possibly because they were behind. Real only needed one shot to score, and they didn't get many more chances. Atlético slowly turned up the pressure, pushing Real back. Álex Baena almost found Alvarez, Sørloth shot high, Alvarez had a shot blocked, and Giuliano slipped while running flat-out into the box.
García was a reliable target for long balls, providing an outlet. However, just before halftime, Real countered from an Atlético corner. Álvaro Carreras started the attack before Rodrygo took over, dribbled into the box, cut inside, and shot weakly at Oblak. Soon after, Vinícius headed over the bar from close range.
Atlético kept attacking, and Real struggled to defend—especially on the left, where Carreras was often isolated against Llorente and Giuliano. Alvarez's slow decision-making and Baena's inconsistent passes hurt Atlético's attack. Still, they created some clearer chances. Thibaut Courtois saved shots from Baena and Sørloth. Then, Sørloth somehow headed over the bar from close range. Llorente and Giuliano created the chance.
Baena stole the ball from Eduardo Camavinga, dribbled past Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni, and forced a save from Courtois. Alvarez's rebound shot was blocked by Antonio Rüdiger. Gallagher's shot then went wide. That was his last action as he was subbed off at halftime. Real survived 10 shots and kept their lead.
The second half started with the same pattern, as Rüdiger made an early intervention. However, a sharp pass from Valverde found Rodrygo, who beat Robin Le Normand and slotted a shot past Oblak. It looked like Real was in control. But almost immediately, Atlético struck back. Giuliano and Llorente combined to get past Vinícius, and Giuliano crossed to Sørloth, who headed in. With an hour left, the game was back on.
Alonso shifted Bellingham to protect the left. Then, with 20 minutes remaining, he had to change his defence after Rüdiger and Raúl Asencio were injured. Tchouaméni moved back, Carreras joined him at centre-back, and Fran García and Ferland Mendy became double left-backs. Vinícius was subbed off, continuing his goalless streak for Madrid. On the sideline, Simeone gestured for Vinicius to listen to the fans, leading to a brief argument, and Alonso later criticised Simeone's behaviour.
The game became about holding on. Real's good news was that Atlético wasn't creating much. In fact, Real had the best chance, but Rodrygo was denied by Oblak. Atlético made one last push despite being tired. Courtois saved an overhead kick from Griezmann, and Llorente curled a shot just wide. Tchouaméni made a great interception to stop Griezmann from equalising. Finally, in the 96th minute, Atlético's chance came and went. Real survived, and their moment in the final awaits.
WHY DID REAL MADRID CHOOSE TO KEEP ENDRICK DESPITE MASSIVE PREMIER LEAGUE INTEREST?
After a stellar loan at Lyon, Endrick will return to Real Madrid this summer alongside Jacobo Ramón to form a new youth core.
Real Madrid has zero plans to let Endrick leave this summer. That’s what we’re hearing, even with Arsenal and Chelsea knocking on their door. We’ve also got some updates on Jacobo Ramon’s future.
Endrick is finishing his loan at Lyon on a high note. He’s put up seven goals and seven assists in just 18 games, and people are excited about what he could do long-term.
The 19-year-old forward from Brazil wanted more game time after struggling for chances with Xabi Alonso in charge at Madrid, so he pushed for a loan. Now, with Alonso gone, Endrick’s focused on forcing his way into Brazil’s World Cup squad, and honestly, the way he’s been playing lately, he’s making a strong argument.
Big clubs are paying attention. Arsenal and Chelsea have both checked in recently to see if Madrid would be open to a deal for him this summer.
But Madrid’s answer? No chance. They’ve told both clubs straight up: Endrick’s coming back to the Bernabéu, and he’s in their first-team plans for next season.
Endrick’s on board with that, too. He wants to stay and fight for a spot, a real chance to prove himself as a regular in Madrid’s lineup.
Florentino Perez backs him all the way; he still believes Endrick is the best young talent out there. The club isn’t about to change its mind.
Endrick’s not the only Madrid youth getting attention from the Premier League. Arsenal and Chelsea have also been checking in about Jacobo Ramon, the young centre-back playing for Como in Italy right now.
Ramon’s been playing alongside Nico Paz under Cesc Fabregas and has done well. Even though he moved from Madrid to Como last summer, Madrid made sure to keep buy-back and sell-on clauses, so it’s almost like he’s still a Madrid player on loan.
Now, the plan is for Ramon to return to Madrid this summer with Endrick and Paz. The club’s looking to keep its young core together and build the future around them.
Lots of clubs are watching Ramon; more than six want to sign him. But honestly, Madrid’s stance is pretty clear: just like with Endrick, they aren’t budging.
So for Arsenal, Chelsea, and anyone else hoping to swoop in, the message is simple. Madrid is keeping their best young talents. They’re not letting them go.
HOW HECTOR BELLERIN’S 94TH-MINUTE STUNNER PUSHED REAL MADRID TO THE TITLE BRINK
Real Madrid's title hopes faded after a 1-1 draw with Real Betis. Discover the impact of Bellerin’s goal and Mbappe’s injury.
Real Madrid’s La Liga dreams took a big hit Friday night when Héctor Bellerín scored a 94th-minute equaliser, earning Real Betis a 1-1 draw. With that late goal, Madrid now sit eight points behind Barcelona, and if Barça win their next match, they could pull even further away with just a handful of games left.
Madrid actually started strong in Seville. Vinícius Jr took advantage of a goalkeeping mistake and put them ahead early in the 17th minute. After that, Madrid had control for large stretches, but it just didn’t translate into goals. Kylian Mbappé had one ruled out for offside, and Jude Bellingham, along with the rest of Madrid’s attack, missed some big chances. It all came back to haunt them when, in the dying seconds, Bellerín capitalised on the chaos at the back and smashed in the equaliser.
People are talking about Madrid’s defence and not in a good way. They’ve failed to keep a clean sheet for ten straight league games. The last time the backline struggled this much in a single season was way back in 2003-04, when Carlos Queiroz was in charge. This run has cost Madrid dearly, with dropped points piling up right when the title race is heating up.
This result marks Madrid’s fifth league draw this season, another missed chance that opens the door for Hansi Flick’s relentless Barcelona to run away with the title. With their Champions League hopes already gone, Madrid are now staring at what could be just their fifth season without a trophy this century. About the only bright spot? Mbappé made his 100th appearance for the club, becoming just the tenth Frenchman to reach that milestone for Madrid. Still, even that was undercut; he limped off with a suspected hamstring injury about ten minutes from the end.
Honestly, the title now looks like a lost cause. If Barcelona beat Getafe, they will go 11 points clear. Madrid has two tough away fixtures next: Espanyol, then Barcelona in a do-or-die El Clásico that could finish off their title hopes for good. With their form stalling and Barça flying, Madrid now need a minor miracle and a huge Barcelona slip-up to avoid ending this season empty-handed.
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