Onto the final… Here is the immediate reaction. To come: Player ratings, interviews and a derby podcast. It was that time of year again. A trip to Saudi Arabia for the Spanish SuperCup beckoned, with Atlético Madrid the opponents for a semi-final showdown.

After suffering the worst Madrid derby defeat in 75 years back in September, Xabi Alonso’s men came into the semifinal bout desperate for redemption. Federico Valverde got Los Blancos off to a blissful start when he fired home a sensational free kick just 76 seconds into the game.

Xabi Alonso's Real Madrid beat Atletico Madrid 2-1 in a tight Spanish Super Cup semi-final in Saudi Arabia on Thursday to set up a Clasico final clash against rivals Barcelona. Fede Valverde's blistering free-kick and a Rodrygo Goes strike helped Madrid claim a fifth consecutive victory across all competitions,