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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.
DAVID ALABA TO LEAVE REAL MADRID THIS SUMMER, FABRIZIO ROMANO CONFIRMS
David Alaba is leaving Real Madrid! Analyse Fabrizio Romano's update on Alaba, Rüdiger, and the future of Dani Carvajal.
Fabrizio Romano says Real Madrid have made up their minds: David Alaba is leaving at the end of the season. Romano, who’s always on top of these things, also gave updates on Antonio Rüdiger and Dani Carvajal.
Alaba joined Madrid back in 2021 after his contract with Bayern Munich ran out. He was a free agent then, and Madrid snapped him up. At Bayern, Alaba became one of Europe’s standout defenders, playing both left-back and centre-back. He won the Bundesliga and Champions League twice with them.
Things started well for Alaba in Spain, too. He’s picked up two LaLiga titles and two Champions League trophies with Madrid. But lately, injuries have really slowed him down. Now, at 33, and with his contract running out, Madrid have decided not to offer him a new deal.
Romano broke the news on his YouTube channel: “The decision is made, David Alaba and Real Madrid will part ways at the end of the season. It was up in the air for a while, but now Madrid is clear. He’s expected to leave after a long run in Germany and then Real Madrid, and he’s looking at new options for the summer.”
So, Alaba’s time in Madrid is almost up. He’s weighing up his next move.
As for Rüdiger and Carvajal, things are less clear. Both are also out of contract at the end of the season. Carvajal lost his spot in the starting eleven under Alvaro Arbeloa, with Trent Alexander-Arnold taking over and impressing. On Rudiger, our transfer insider Graeme Bailey reported in February that he’s open to a Premier League move this summer. His representatives have already talked to Tottenham, Crystal Palace, West Ham, and Chelsea, plus there’s interest from Saudi Arabia.
Romano says Madrid still hasn’t made any decisions on Rüdiger or Carvajal. “Many of you are asking about Dani Carvajal and Antonio Rüdiger. Right now, nothing’s been communicated or decided. These decisions will come closer to the end of the season, so we’ll have to wait and see what Madrid and the players want to do.”
There’s more: Romano revealed Madrid haven’t decided what to do with a young talent who’s caught the eye of Arsenal and AC Milan. Meanwhile, the agent for Liverpool’s Dominik Szoboszlai has spoken about whether his client wants a move to Madrid this summer. And, just to throw another twist in, there’s talk that Jurgen Klopp could sell a Madrid winger to Manchester United if he becomes boss at Los Blancos.
AGENT VINI: HOW VINICIUS JUNIOR INFILTRATED MBAPPE AND BELLINGHAM’S DMS TO SIGN THEM
Real Madrid’s Rodri pursuit begins! Discover how Vinicius Jr recruited Mbappe and why the Galáctico 3.0 era is facing a 2026 crisis.
Vinicius Junior didn’t just sit back and watch as Kylian Mbappé or Jude Bellingham got linked to Real Madrid. He jumped right in, texting both of them, basically playing agent, nudging them toward Madrid.
Bellingham finally landed in Madrid in 2023 for a hefty €103 million, after what felt like endless rumours about Liverpool. Mbappé took a bit longer. After years of endless gossip, he finally let his contract at PSG run out and showed up a year later.
Vinicius wasn’t shy about his role. “Every summer, I’d message him: ‘When are you coming?’ "I acted like his agent,” he told Ibai Llanos in a recent interview. “Did the same with Bellingham.” Why? Simple: he just wants to play with the best, thinking that’s the ticket to more trophies. But, as always with Madrid, things aren’t that straightforward.
Vinicius is hooked on the Galáctico ideal, that old Real Madrid idea that you just keep stacking superstar talent and the team gets better. It’s a glamorous vision, but it’s also the sort of thinking that’s tripped Madrid up more than once under Florentino Pérez.
Pérez first took over with big promises, leading with the blockbuster signing of Luís Figo. Then came Zidane, Ronaldo, and Beckham, one superstar after another. But to pay Beckham’s wages, Pérez sold Claude Makélélé, the team’s midfield anchor. Zidane summed it up best: “Why put another layer of gold paint on the Bentley when you’re losing the engine?” Madrid paid for it. They won just a single Spanish Super Cup over the next three seasons, and Pérez eventually lost his job.
When Pérez returned in 2009, he started another Galáctico project, signing Ronaldo, Kaká, and Benzema. But then, in 2014, Madrid let go of Ángel Di María, the tireless engine in midfield, and brought in James Rodríguez, who never quite fit. Another trophy drought followed.
Now, with Mbappé in the mix, it feels like just another flashy addition. Madrid had just pulled off a tough league and Champions League double in 2024, with Joselu, an old-school striker, leading the line. But instead of sticking with what worked, they brought in the roaming, high-profile Frenchman.
Mbappé’s personal stats look great, but the team’s results haven’t matched up lately. Both Carlo Ancelotti and Xabi Alonso lost their jobs after the team failed to repeat those big wins.
And if anyone’s felt the impact, it’s Vinicius. He fought so hard for Mbappé to join, but now they both prefer the left wing. They’ve only shown flashes of real chemistry. The numbers are telling: before Mbappé, Vinicius scored about once every 155 minutes. With Mbappé on the pitch, that drops to once every 223 minutes.
The twist is, off the field, they’re tight. Mbappé is one of Vinicius’s closest friends at the club, along with Camavinga and Mendy. “We spend more time together than with our families,” Vinicius said. “We have to have a good relationship.” If only that connection showed up on the pitch.
So, who’s next on Vinicius’s call list? If he’s still playing the agent, Madrid now really needs a defensive midfielder, a new Toni Kroos, someone who can control the game. There are interesting options out there, like Stuttgart’s Angelo Stiller or Chema Andrés, who came up through Madrid’s academy. But if Vinicius still wants a superstar, there’s one obvious (and tricky) choice: Rodri.
Rodri’s been on Madrid’s radar for years. He’s a serial winner, runs the show for Spain, and controls games at the highest level. He’d cost a fortune, but the fit is perfect. The problem is, he just won the 2024 Ballon d’ Or, the same award Vinicius thought he deserved. Vinicius was so upset, he and the entire Madrid delegation boycotted the ceremony in protest. Rodri didn’t seem too bothered. “It’s up to each person or club to decide what to do,” he said later. “I wouldn’t have done it, but that’s just me.”
Now, more than a year later, maybe those hard feelings have faded. If Madrid wants to keep building, Vinicius might just have to reach out again, awkward or not.
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