| Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid | |
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MATCH INFO |
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MATCH :
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Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid
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COMPETITION :
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Spanish Super Cup
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| DATE: |
09-01-2026
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TIME:
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12.30 AM IST
11.00 PM UAE
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STADIUM
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King Abdullah Sports City
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Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid: Super Cup Semi-final Preview and Team News
Real Madrid head coach Xabi Alonso has eased the pressure surrounding his early tenure with an impressive run of four consecutive victories, capped by a dominant 5-1 home win over Real Betis on Sunday — achieved despite the absence of the injured Kylian Mbappé.
In Mbappé’s absence, young striker Gonzalo García stole the headlines with a sensational performance, scoring with his right foot, left foot and head to become the youngest player to register a perfect La Liga hat-trick in the 21st century, doing so at the age of 21 years and 286 days. Raúl Asencio and Fran García also found the net as Los Blancos secured their eighth home victory in nine league matches.
That result lifted Real Madrid back to within four points of league leaders Barcelona, who edged past Espanyol 2-0 on Saturday. Alonso now has the opportunity to further cement his authority in the dugout, knowing that two more wins would deliver his first trophy since replacing Carlo Ancelotti at the end of last season.
Real Madrid arrive at the Spanish Super Cup semi-final with a strong recent pedigree in the competition. Although they were heavily defeated by Barcelona in last season’s final, Los Blancos have lifted the trophy in three of the six editions played under the current four-team format. Most recently, in 2024, they overcame Atletico Madrid 5-3 after extra time before dismantling Barcelona 4-1 in the final.
Indeed, Real Madrid have failed to reach the final of the four-team Super Cup on just one occasion, suffering a 2-1 defeat to Athletic Club in the behind-closed-doors edition in Malaga in 2021. However, Alonso’s side may be wary of their recent struggles against Atletico, having beaten their city rivals in regulation time just once in their last seven meetings. Furthermore, Los Blancos have not kept a clean sheet against Atletico since a 2-0 home league win in December 2021.
Atletico Madrid head into Thursday’s semi-final with their own selection concerns. Clement Lenglet and Nicolas González remain unavailable as they continue their recovery from knee and hamstring injuries respectively, while Pablo Barrios is unlikely to feature after being forced off at half time on Sunday with a calf issue.
Conor Gallagher, who replaced Barrios against Real Sociedad, could be handed a starting role alongside Koke in central midfield, although Johnny Cardoso remains an alternative option for Diego Simeone. Robin Le Normand is also pushing for a place in the starting XI after coming on at half time against his former club.
Real Madrid, meanwhile, will again be without Mbappé, who remains in Madrid to continue his recovery from a knee injury. Eder Militão has also been excluded from the travelling squad due to a hamstring problem, while Brahim Díaz is unavailable as he continues his international duty with Morocco at the Africa Cup of Nations.
There is cautious optimism over the fitness of Trent Alexander-Arnold, who has been named in the squad but remains a doubt for both the semi-final and any potential final. Dean Huijsen could strengthen the back line if he recovers in time from the minor injury that ruled him out of Real Madrid’s first fixture of 2026.
With silverware on the line and long-standing rivalry adding extra intensity, Thursday’s Madrid derby promises to be a fiercely contested Super Cup semi-final.