Spanish Super Cup Final Filled with Anxiety for Real Madrid

JEDDAH, FRIDAY - After suffering a heavy defeat in the Madrid Derby last September, Real Madrid retaliated by eliminating Atletico Madrid, 2-1, in the semifinals of the Spanish Super Cup, at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Friday (9/1/2026) early morning WIB. Real's maturity once again raised questions when facing a major team. The victory over Atletico was achieved thanks to individual brilliance, rather than through the ideal scheme of coach Xabi Alonso.

Alonso should be grateful to Federico Valverde, who continues to perform brilliantly despite not being assigned to his preferred position. The Uruguayan midfielder was once again tasked with playing as a right wing-back to fill in for Dani Carvajal, who is still absent. On several occasions, Valverde has hinted at his discomfort playing on the right wing. However, the Real captain was still able to contribute in this match by scoring a goal from a free kick in the 2nd minute.

"My first goal of the season. A good day to score again. We must be critical of ourselves. They played better than us. We are a great team, but we must know how to face difficulties and remain united," said Valverde after the match.

In addition to scoring a goal, Valverde also contributed to Real's second goal scored by Rodrygo in the second half. In a transitional situation, Valverde keenly observed an empty space that Rodrygo attempted to exploit. After successfully getting past Robin Le Normand's defense, Rodrygo easily defeated goalkeeper Jan Oblak from close range. Praise is also due to striker Gonzalo Garcia, who worked to tie up Atletico's defender with his off-the-ball movement, thereby creating space for Rodrygo.

However, the success of leading by two goals marked the beginning of problems for Real. This season, "Los Blancos" have shown a tendency to be more passive and vulnerable when they manage to score first, especially against teams with strong player rosters. Instead of leveraging their advantage to control the course of the match, Valverde and his teammates found themselves under pressure from Atletico players eager to equalize.

Julian Alvarez, Giuliano Simeone, and Marcos Llorente created several dangerous opportunities. Vinicius Junior, who was positioned to support Alvaro Carreras on the left wing, was not particularly helpful as his focus was more on ball movement rather than on Atletico players.

From there, Alexander Sorloth was able to score a reply goal in the 58th minute. In order to add another goal, the Atletico players intensified their pressure with a high defensive line. They made a total of six shots on target (more than Real, which only had four shots), five of which were still thwarted by goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.

Such scenes are not unfamiliar to Real since being managed by Alonso this season. The brilliance of individual performances from the players, including Courtois's saves, has repeatedly rescued Real from negative results. The attractive playing style of pressing opponents and the short passing typical of Alonso during his time coaching Bayer Leverkusen has yet to be seen at Real.

We were a bit complacent after the quick goal. It was difficult for us to play our own game. We had opportunities, but only through counterattacks.

Instead of applying pressure, Real always feels pressured when they manage to take the lead first in major matches. This tendency was clearly evident in this match as well. The Real players were unable to neutralize Atletico's high defensive line.

They also appeared resigned to the relentless movement of Llorente and Alavarez in finding gaps in the interline space. As a result, Antoine Griezmann nearly scored from a cross. However, Aurelien Tchouameni swiftly cleared the ball before it reached Griezmann.

"We were a bit caught off guard after the quick goal. It was difficult for us to play our own game. We had chances, but only through counterattacks," said Valverde, who also serves as the captain of Real.

With a playing style like that, it is not surprising that anxiety arises ahead of the challenge against Barcelona in the final. Barca is currently in top form, having achieved nine consecutive victories.

Of the nine victories, they recorded five consecutive wins without conceding a goal. The day before, Barca secured a place in the final after demolishing Athletic Bilbao with a score of five goals to none. Such a performance from Barca clearly raises doubts about whether Real can match it.

"We have to win. Last year we lost two finals against them. They'll be desperate for revenge after the league clásico. We need to rest well and recover well," said Courtois.

It would not be a Madrid Derby if it were to proceed without excitement. At the end of the match, there was a moment of tension involving Atletico coach Diego Simeone and Vinicius. Simeone provoked Vinicius, who was about to be substituted, by stating that he would be fired by Real. Vinicius was incited by Simeone's actions, leading to a commotion on the sidelines.

Alonso is certainly aiming for a positive result in the final to alleviate the immense pressure on his shoulders. The Supercopa de España trophy at least proves that he is still deserving of the opportunity to manage Real. Although it is challenging, overcoming Barca is not impossible as Alonso has already done so earlier this season. (AFP)