MATCH REPORT | Real Madrid finalists after winning a breathtaking semi-final (5-3)

In all seven knock out matches that Real Madrid have played against Diego Simeone’s Atlético Madrid side in his 12 years at the helm, all seven have gone to extra-time.

Wednesday's match in Riyadh was no exception, in a match that was played with exceptional pace and intensity, serving up constant swings in momentum, quality on the ball, chances and a glut of goals. The five goals Real Madrid scored was ultimately enough to hand them the victory and a place in Sunday’s final.

Both teams gave early warning signs of their attacking intent during the Spanish Super Cup semi-final, with Atletico forcing a wonderful save from Kepa from Lino's shot when the match had just got started.

That was just a prelude to what was to come, shortly after, centre-back Mario Hermoso headed home from a corner after just seven minutes. That opening goal was followed by an equaliser just a quarter of an hour later from Germany's Rüdiger, who latched onto Luka Modric's floated corner kick to head home.

Shortly afterwards Rodrygo came close to putting the team in white ahead. However, it would be Mendy's first-time glancing finish from a Carvajal cross past Atlético Madrid goalkeeper Jan Oblak that would put Real Madrid in the lead for the first time of the night.

Spain international Dani Carvajal was named player of the match in the first Super Cup semi-final

The Red and Whites didn't give up though, with Griezmann scoring a memorable goal, using his undeniable talent to wriggle out of a tight area and smash an unstoppable right-footed shot into the back of the net before the half-time break.

The breakneck pace did not let up in the second half, with both managers calling on their benches to keep up the frenetic pace of the match. Rüdiger and Kepa got in a mix up that inadvertently ended up in an own goal that put Atletico Madrid back in the lead, but Dani Carvajal sent the tie into extra time with what would be more akin to a strikers’ finish off a loose ball after Jan Oblak had made a succession of great saves.  

Thus it was down to extra time to decide who would go through to the final. In the second half of the additional 30 minutes, Savic accidentally turned a Carvajal cross into his own net to put Real Madrid in the lead again. The goalmouth action was not over yet through, Griezmann went close once more before Brahim Diaz scored on the breakaway to make it 5-3 after Atlético had thrown everyone forward in search of an equaliser in the final seconds of the game.

A helter-skelter match in which both teams left everything out on the pitch and gave us a final score of 5-3 to the team in white. Despite the two goals in it, both teams were very much in the game until the very last moments of the match. In the end Carlo Ancelotti´s team will welcome a victory that puts them into the final of the Spanish Super Cup, in what will be their third successive appearance in this competition’s showpiece match.

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