Chapter 86: Fire in Riyadh
[Supercopa de Espana – Semifinal:]
>Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid.
The second semifinal of the Supercopa de Espana was a Madrid derby!
If Barcelona’s clash against Real Betis was just the appetizer, another game for the reigning champions to shake off the dust of the Christmas holiday, Real Madrid didn’t get that luxury as they were directly thrown into the deep end.
Considering their past history against Atletico Madrid, they faced one of the biggest tests of their season tonight.
The Riyadh night trembled with tension; the atmosphere was electric as two of the best clubs of Spain went at loggerheads against each other.
King Fahd Stadium shimmered under floodlights, its stands split into a storm of white and red stripes. Flags snapped in the desert wind, drums boomed, and chants rolled like thunder as two passionate fan bases went at each other’s throats.
This was not just a semifinal, it was a literal war, a Madrid derby transplanted onto foreign soil.
Reporters had dubbed it [A final before the final], and they were right. The winner would face Barcelona in the Supercopa final.
The loser? Forgotten.
The lineups were released ahead of time. Xabi Alonso and Diego Simeone didn’t let up the slightest as they fielded their best starting XIs for the game.
For Real Madrid, starting in their regular 4-3-3 formation, Thibaut Courtois started in goal, while the defensive quadruple ahead of him comprised Trent Alexander Arnold, Eder Militao, Dean Huijsen, and Ferland Mendy.
In midfield was the trio of Federico Valverde, Jude Bellingham, and Arda Guler while upfront were the trio of Rodrygo, Mbappe, and Vinicius Jnr.
As for Atletico Madrid, they started in a 4-4-2 formation with Jan Oblak in goal, while ahead of him was the defensive quadruple of Hancko, Clement Lenglet, Robin Le Normand, and Marcus Llorente.
The 4-man midfield comprised Thiago Almada, Pablo Barrios, Cardoso, and Giovanni Simeone, while the two strikers upfront were Julian Alvarez and Alexander Sorloth.
Antoine Griezmann started on the bench.
On one side, youth and brilliance. On the other, grit and scars that were usually typical of Diego Simeone’s teams.
The referee kickstarted the game without any fanfare.
FWEEEE!
Immediately after the referee’s whistle sounded, the game started and instantly ramped up an intensity of a hundred miles per hour as Real Madrid quickly hit the afterburners, eager to make a statement early.
The game barely started when Madrid poured forward with just two men; fast and electric.
Arda Guler quickly threaded a pass forward towards the left where Vinicius Jnr. lurked like a silent assassin.
The ball found its way to Vinicius who immediately tore down the left hand side of the pitch with electric pace.
Mbappe also erupted with speed, running side by side him and together, these two cut Atletico’s defense open like a hot knife through butter as the defenders backpedaled in panic.
Bam... bam...
Exchanging smooth, seamless one two passes, Mbappe received and quickly set Vinicius loose and the Brazilian didn’t make a single wrong move with his dribbling as he chopped inside and unleashed a shot, only for it to fizz out wide.
"...!" Tens of thousands of fans rose to their feet in shock, gasping.
Vinicius smacked his lips at his luck, but then turning to the fans, he waved his arms at them, riling them up and they responded with noise.
"HALA... MADRID!" "HALA... MADRID!"
The Atletico fans were not to be outdone as they also belted out their own club chants. The atmosphere was electric and full of competitive energy.
At the restart of the game, Mbappé pressed Oblak, forcing the goalkeeper to launch hurriedly as the white shirts pressed like predators.
But Atleti? They were born in chaos. Against the early pressure that Real Madrid mounted on them, they didn’t cower. Instead, they responded in kind with the same energy, matching them brick for brick.
Just a few minutes after Vinicius’s daring early run, Thiago Almada sprinted down the flank before whipping a ball across that Alvarez nearly flicked goalward.
The intensity ramped up even more.
From the first minute of the game, tackles crunched as Simeone clapped and shouted on the touchline, his coat flapping.
As for Xabi Alonso, he prowled his box, jaw tight.
And then, the breakthrough came in the 16th minute as Kylian Mbappe struck.
Valverde intercepted a sloppy pass in midfield and surged forward like a bull. He slid it wide to Rodrygo, who sprinted at Marcus Llorente. One quick shimmy, and he whipped a low cross across the box.
Mbappé darted in front of Lenglet and hammered a first-time finish past Oblak.
GOAL!
The Madrid fans in Riyadh erupted. Mbappé spread his arms wide, smirking, the familiar predator’s celebration.
And just like that...
Real Madrid 1–0 Atletico.
But Atleti never blinked.
Simeone’s men pressed harder, doubling down in midfield. Cardoso hacked into Bellingham. Pablo Barrios barked orders, keeping the lines compact.
And then, in the 29th minute, their persistence paid off.
An Almada corner curled deep, causing chaos in the Real Madrid box.
Militao rose, but the ball glanced awkwardly off his shoulder. Chaos followed; scrambling boots, shouts, until Alexander Sorloth pounced, slamming the ball past Courtois from close range.
GOAL!
The red and white end of the stadium erupted.
Sorloth sprinted toward the corner, arms outstretched, veins bulging. Simeone punched the air, sprinting down the touchline with passion.
Real Madrid 1–1 Atletico!
The battle intensified after that.
The rest of the half was war.
Vinícius clashed with Llorente, the two shoving and snarling after every duel. Mbappé tried to burst through Le Normand but found no mercy, the Spaniard chopping him down with a crunch that echoed across the stadium.
Bellingham danced through midfield, elegant even under fire, while Valverde cracked a thunderbolt from 30 yards that Oblak tipped over brilliantly.
At the other end, Pablo Barrios floated between lines, his vision cutting open space. One delicate chip found Julian Alvarez, whose volley forced Courtois into a full-stretch save.
And then, after a grueling battle...
FWEEE!
The whistle finally cut through the chaos. Both sides trudged off, shirts drenched, faces hard. The scoreboard glowed...
[HALF-TIME: Real Madrid 1-1 Atletico Madrid]
The stadium buzzed, the derby fire unrelenting.
And everyone knew... the second half would be even bloodier.