Real Madrid survives and will face Barcelona in the final

BarcelonaA classic in Arab lands. It's becoming something of a tradition for Saudis to enjoy live what they wanted to see, and what they dug deep into their pockets for: this Sunday, Barça and Madrid will face off in the Super Cup final. Xabi Alonso's Madrid escaped the derby with a win against an Atlético side that seemed to have lost its scoring touch, despite competing without Mbappé. And the Federation and the Saudis have their dream final. The competition format, once the decision was made to invite four teams, was already designed for this purpose: to increase the chances of having the main course on the table on the day of the final. A classic. The whole football world will savor it.

Real Madrid, which not long ago seemed half-dead and had its coach, Xabi Alonso, on the verge of being sacked, has nine lives, like a cat. It has used some up in recent months, but if it wins the Super Cup, the Basque coach can breathe a sigh of relief. If Sunday's result is a repeat of last season, when Flick replaced Ancelotti, perhaps Florentino Pérez will sack Xabi Alonso. Who knows? The Basque coach lives with the sword of Damocles hanging over his head.

Real Madrid has shown it can win without the injured Mbappé. The semifinal against Atlético was more fast-paced and exciting than the first leg. when Athletic Bilbao fell apart without offering any resistance to BarçaGonzalo, the young player Real Madrid is clamoring for, didn't do much. But Los Blancos managed to win with a style more in keeping with the club's past, imposing themselves without dazzling, than with what the former Bayer Leverkusen coach supposedly wants. Right now, Alonso is simply surviving, without developing a team that was eager to avenge Simeone's defeat in the last league match. And things started well for Real Madrid, as just three minutes into the game, Fede Valverde conjured up a beautiful free-kick goal. A poorly positioned defensive line by Oblak didn't help, but for a moment the Uruguayan looked like Roberto Carlos, the way he struck the ball.

Real Madrid, by relinquishing possession, effectively thwarted most of Atlético Madrid's attacks. Simeone, on the other hand, used his position on the sidelines to provoke Vinícius. "Florentino will get you fired," he even told him. And the hot-blooded Brazilian turned away. Vini, battling his inner demons, didn't play well, imagining the stadium was full of windmills attacking him. His lackluster performance ended in the 80th minute when Alonso sent him to the bench. He then decided to confront Simeone and start a confrontation. Vinícius hasn't been focused on football for some time.

Atlético dominated possession, but Courtois saved every shot, and Sorloth only missed one. Julián was having an off day, and Real Madrid waited for their chance to strike, as Rodrygo would do at the start of the second half. But Sorloth, this time, managed to score an early goal to keep the game alive. There was half an hour left to play, but Atlético weren't having their day and would go on to squander chances, like a clear opportunity for Julián in the final minute. And Madrid passed another test, suffering and without much fanfare. Barça will be their judge this Sunday. It will be more than just a final.