Real Madrid secures a spot in the Supercopa de España final for the third consecutive year, emerging victorious in a thrilling eight-goal derby clash against city rivals Atletico that extended into extra time.
This week, Spanish football temporarily moves to Saudi Arabia for the annual mini-tournament, with the Madrid derby marking the first of the two semi-finals; Barcelona is set to face Osasuna on Thursday.
The teams exchanged four goals within a pulsating opening half-hour, with Mario Hermoso giving Atletico an early lead in the sixth minute. Los Blancos then staged a comeback with two goals in nine minutes from defenders Antonio Rudiger and Ferland Mendy.
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Antoine Griezmann leveled the score at 2-2 before half-time, achieving a milestone as Atletico’s all-time leading goalscorer with his 174th strike for the club, surpassing Luis Aragones’ record of 173.
Atletico believed they had secured a spot in the Supercopa final for the first time since 2020 when Rudiger inadvertently scored an own goal.
Dani Carvajal, who earlier missed a golden opportunity to give Real the lead, equalized dramatically in the 85th minute, forcing the match into extra time. While not as dramatic as the 2014 Champions League final between the two teams, it certainly evoked memories.
Extra time unfolded as a tense affair, with the outcome uncertain until near the end, seemingly heading toward a penalty shootout. However, another own goal, this time from Atletico’s Stefan Savic, handed Real the lead.
As Diego Simeone’s team grew increasingly desperate, with Jan Oblak even venturing forward to add an extra body in the box, a Real counter, finished by Brahim Diaz in stoppage time of the additional period, ultimately sealed the victory in favor of Real Madrid.