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.
THE ARBELOA STANCE: WHY REAL MADRID’S COACH DEMANDS A HISTORIC PRECEDENT FOR VINICIUS JR
Action needed: Discover why Alvaro Arbeloa is challenging UEFA to punish Gianluca Prestianni and support Vinicius Jr. in Madrid.
Real Madrid head coach Alvaro Arbeloa wants to see UEFA back up its anti-racism talk with real action after forward Vinicius Jr said he was racially abused during last week’s Champions League match in Lisbon.
The incident happened during the first leg of the knockout round against Benfica. Vinicius, who scored the game’s only goal, says Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni targeted him with racist abuse soon after he found the net.
Prestianni, a 20-year-old winger from Argentina, denies it. Still, UEFA hit him with a one-game provisional suspension, so he’ll miss the return leg in Madrid on Wednesday.
“This is a big chance to actually move the fight against racism forward,” Arbeloa told reporters on Tuesday. “UEFA’s always talked a good game about this issue, but now they can show they mean it. I hope they don’t just stick to slogans and banners this time.”
Vinicius, 25, picked up a yellow card for celebrating his goal in front of Benfica’s fans. Benfica manager Jose Mourinho later accused him of being disrespectful and stirring up the crowd.
But Real Madrid’s goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois pushed back. He said Vinicius’s celebration was nothing out of the ordinary and that it never justifies racist abuse.
“Mourinho’s going to defend his club and his player; that’s normal,” Courtois said. “What bothers me is blaming Vini’s celebration. He didn’t do anything wrong. Opponents celebrate in front of us all the time, especially when they score. It happens, and we move on. There’s no excuse for racism, period.”
Arbeloa called Vinicius a “fighter” and said he’s sure the Brazilian will prove himself on the pitch at the Bernabeu.
“Vini Junior has always had guts and personality,” Arbeloa said. “Honestly, I don’t know how anyone else would handle what he’s faced. He’s always stood tall, and that’s just how he is. He’ll show up tomorrow ready to fight, ready to show he’s one of the world’s best.”
The first match was stopped for ten minutes after Vinicius told the referee what happened, and Real Madrid’s players walked off the field for a bit. There were also reports of racist gestures from fans in the stands at Benfica’s stadium. UEFA says Prestianni could face more punishment once their ethics inspector finishes a full investigation.
On the Benfica side, club president Rui Costa stood by Prestianni and confirmed they’re appealing the suspension.
“I wasn’t on the pitch to hear what was said, but you can imagine how heated things get,” Costa told reporters at Lisbon airport. “We trust our player. He’s being labelled a racist, and I can promise you he’s nothing of the sort. That's why we have faith in him.”
Mourinho, who’s been criticised for his comments, won’t speak at the usual pre-match press conference.
Costa added, “We’ve appealed because nothing’s been proven, so there’s no real reason Prestianni should miss this game.”
THE PAMPLONA CURSE: OSASUNA SECURES FIRST HOME WIN OVER REAL MADRID SINCE JANUARY 2011
Real Madrid's lead is at risk! Discover how Osasuna stunned the leaders 2-1 and analyse Arbeloa's honest post-match reaction.
Álvaro Arbeloa didn’t hide his frustration after Real Madrid lost 2-1 at Osasuna on Saturday. The defeat wasn’t just a bump; it let points slip away in the LaLiga title race. “We can play much better,” he admitted.
Osasuna struck first. Ante Budimir scored from the penalty spot before halftime at El Sadar. Madrid looked flat for most of the match, but Vinícius Júnior pulled them level in the 73rd minute with his fifth goal in just four games. Even then, the comeback didn’t last. In the very last minute, Raúl García pulled off a brilliant solo goal, slicing through defenders and beating Thibaut Courtois. The flag went up for offside, but after a VAR check, the goal stood. That gave Osasuna their first home win over Madrid in 15 years.
Arbeloa summed it up simply: “It wasn’t a good game for us.” He didn’t make excuses, but he did mention the tough schedule. “It’s not easy playing midweek and then again on Sunday, but that’s what’s expected here. This is Real Madrid. We knew coming here wouldn’t be easy.”
Madrid had arrived in Pamplona on a hot streak of four straight wins against Rayo Vallecano, Valencia, Real Sociedad, and Benfica. Even so, Arbeloa saw clear problems: “Nobody wants to lose, obviously. But it’s a long season; there’s still a lot to play. In the first half, we controlled things, but we played too slowly. We have to move the ball quicker.”
He pointed out that Madrid’s attack got too predictable. “We’re doing a lot down the left, but we need to use the other side too. If we don’t, we’re too easy to defend.”
Looking back at their midweek win over Benfica, Arbeloa knew they fell short this time. “We did well last Tuesday, but today it wasn’t so easy. We’ve got a lot to improve. When we’re not at 100%, any team can beat us. We know that.”
Arbeloa also addressed questions about Kylian Mbappé, who’s been dealing with a knee issue. “He rested last week and didn’t play against La Real,” Arbeloa said. “When we think he’s not ready, we won’t risk him. That’s a decision we make together with the doctors and Kylian himself. But he didn’t play last week.”
For Osasuna, the win meant everything. Raúl García, the match-winner, was still buzzing after the final whistle. “It’s an incredible feeling,” he told DAZN. “We hadn’t beaten Madrid here for 15 years. The team played great. That goal – it’s a move I use a lot. I’ve scored a few like that in the second division.”
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