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Real Madrid Beats Atletico to Set Up Clasico Final at the Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia

Real Madrid's Federico Valverde, right, is congratulated by Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham after scoring the opening goal during the Spanish Super Cup semifinal soccer match against Atletico Madrid at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. (AP)
Real Madrid's Federico Valverde, right, is congratulated by Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham after scoring the opening goal during the Spanish Super Cup semifinal soccer match against Atletico Madrid at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. (AP)
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Real Madrid Beats Atletico to Set Up Clasico Final at the Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia

Real Madrid's Federico Valverde, right, is congratulated by Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham after scoring the opening goal during the Spanish Super Cup semifinal soccer match against Atletico Madrid at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. (AP)
Real Madrid's Federico Valverde, right, is congratulated by Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham after scoring the opening goal during the Spanish Super Cup semifinal soccer match against Atletico Madrid at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. (AP)

Real Madrid got goals from Federico Valverde and Rodrygo to beat Atletico Madrid 2-1 on Thursday, setting up a clasico final at the Spanish Super Cup played in Saudi Arabia.

Valverde put Madrid ahead just two minutes into the match in Jeddah when the Uruguay midfielder scored directly from a free kick with a fierce strike that Jan Oblak could not keep out.

Valverde then helped make it 2-0 in the 55th when he threaded a pass through the middle of Atletico’s defense to meet Rodrygo’s run. The Brazil forward, who is playing well after a subpar season last year, did the rest by beating Oblak with a low strike for the winner.

Alexander Sorloth pulled Atletico close three minutes later when the striker headed in a cross by Giuliano Simeone. Atletico pressed for the equalizer but came up short.

Madrid was playing without the injured Kylian Mbappé, sidelined with a left knee sprain for a second straight game.

Xabi Alonso’s team will face Barcelona in the final of four four-team tournament on Sunday.

Valverde’s goal was his first of the season. He has struggled to join the attack this campaign because he has been forced to play out of position at right back due to injuries to Dani Carvajal and Trent Alexander-Arnold.

“After so many games without scoring, today was a great day to find the net again and for the team to win,” Valverde said. “We must be prepared, rested and focused to win the final.”

Atletico created several chances to score in the final half but goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois did well to parry a point-blank header by Sorloth and a long strike by Alex Baena.

Atletico had beaten Madrid 5-2 when they met in La Liga in September.

Barcelona routed Athletic Bilbao 5-0 on Wednesday in the other semifinal. Last year, Barcelona thumped Madrid 5-2 in the Spanish Super Cup final.

Derby record for Koke Atletico midfielder Koke Resurrección set a new record for Madrid derbies after playing his 44th game against his crosstown rival. That broke a tie he had with former Madrid star defender Sergio Ramos.

But after the loss, Koke concentrated on the missed opportunity for his team.

“It hurts because we wanted to be in the final,” the 34-year-old Koke said. “We got off on the wrong foot after (Valverde’s) great goal. We had our chances, but the ball wouldn’t go in.”

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Bayern Still without Musiala and Kimmich but Neuer Back for Bundesliga Restart

Football - DFB Cup - Round of 16 - Bayern Munich v Bayer Leverkusen - Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany - December 3, 2024 Bayern Munich's Manuel Neuer walks off the pitch after receiving a red card by referee Harm Osmers. (Reuters)
Football - DFB Cup - Round of 16 - Bayern Munich v Bayer Leverkusen - Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany - December 3, 2024 Bayern Munich's Manuel Neuer walks off the pitch after receiving a red card by referee Harm Osmers. (Reuters)
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Bayern Still without Musiala and Kimmich but Neuer Back for Bundesliga Restart

Football - DFB Cup - Round of 16 - Bayern Munich v Bayer Leverkusen - Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany - December 3, 2024 Bayern Munich's Manuel Neuer walks off the pitch after receiving a red card by referee Harm Osmers. (Reuters)
Football - DFB Cup - Round of 16 - Bayern Munich v Bayer Leverkusen - Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany - December 3, 2024 Bayern Munich's Manuel Neuer walks off the pitch after receiving a red card by referee Harm Osmers. (Reuters)

Bayern Munich will be missing several players including Joshua Kimmich and Jamal Musiala but will have keeper Manuel Neuer back for their Bundesliga restart against visitors VfL Wolfsburg following the winter break, coach Vincent Kompany said on Saturday.

The Bavarians, undefeated this season in the league, will also be without Sacha Boey and Alphonso Davies on Sunday as they ‌look to ‌extend their eight-point lead ‌at ⁠the top ‌of the table.

Kompany said Germany international Musiala, who sustained a fibula fracture and a broken ankle in the Club World Cup in July last year, was on the verge of a comeback but Sunday's match was ⁠still too soon.

"He will not be available yet for ‌this game," Kompany told a ‍press conference on ‍Saturday. "We are close but we don't want ‍to take the last step too quickly. This week was good for him. He did the full training sessions."

Bayern are in top spot on 41 points, eight ahead of second-placed Borussia Dortmund, who needed a ⁠stoppage-time goal to rescue a 3-3 draw at Eintracht Frankfurt on Friday. They will increase their lead with a win.

"I want to see our strengths, no matter the opponent," Kompany said. "I want to see us at home being Bayern Munich and even against tough opponents play our game."

Bayern have never lost in Munich against Wolfsburg in 28 ‌league matches, having won 26 of them and drawn two.

Sports

Alcaraz Beats Sinner in Sold-Out South Korea Exhibition Match

Tennis - Hyundai Card Super Match - Carlos Alcaraz v Jannik Sinner - Inspire Arena, Incheon, South Korea - January 10, 2026 Spain's Carlos Alcaraz celebrates winning his Hyundai Card Super Match against Italy's Jannik Sinner. (Reuters)
Tennis - Hyundai Card Super Match - Carlos Alcaraz v Jannik Sinner - Inspire Arena, Incheon, South Korea - January 10, 2026 Spain's Carlos Alcaraz celebrates winning his Hyundai Card Super Match against Italy's Jannik Sinner. (Reuters)
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Alcaraz Beats Sinner in Sold-Out South Korea Exhibition Match

Tennis - Hyundai Card Super Match - Carlos Alcaraz v Jannik Sinner - Inspire Arena, Incheon, South Korea - January 10, 2026 Spain's Carlos Alcaraz celebrates winning his Hyundai Card Super Match against Italy's Jannik Sinner. (Reuters)
Tennis - Hyundai Card Super Match - Carlos Alcaraz v Jannik Sinner - Inspire Arena, Incheon, South Korea - January 10, 2026 Spain's Carlos Alcaraz celebrates winning his Hyundai Card Super Match against Italy's Jannik Sinner. (Reuters)

Carlos Alcaraz beat great rival Jannik Sinner in a light-hearted sell-out exhibition match in South Korea on Saturday ahead of the Australian Open.

Taking place eight days before the Melbourne Grand Slam and in their first appearances this year, the Spanish world number one won 7-5, 7-6 (8/6) in front of an enthusiastic 12,000 crowd in Incheon.

Neither will play competitively until the Australian Open, where Italy's world number two Sinner is the defending two-time champion.

South Korean organizers have not said how much the two players earned from the match, but reports in Italy suggest each could pocket more than $2 million for the match that lasted one hour and 47 minutes.

It was not always entirely serious, the smiling duo treating a packed house to some trick shots between their legs, drawing cheers, and reacting to calls from the crowd by making heart gestures.

Alcaraz and Sinner have taken a stranglehold on men's tennis over the past two years, splitting all four Grand Slam titles between them in 2024 and 2025.

Arch competitors on the court but good friends off it, Alcaraz has the upper hand in their rivalry and came into the exhibition boasting a 10-6 head-to-head record.

They will be the favorites when the Australian Open starts in Melbourne on January 18, when the serious work begins.

Alcaraz, who at 22 is two years younger than Sinner, has never gone beyond the quarter-finals at the first Grand Slam of the year and it is the only major he has failed to win.

Sports

Morocco Show Their Credentials in Impressive Quarter-Final Performance

Morocco have invested heavily in ensuring a showpiece tournament, putting their best foot forward ahead of their co-hosting ⁠of the 2030 World Cup with Portugal and Spain. (Reuters)
Morocco have invested heavily in ensuring a showpiece tournament, putting their best foot forward ahead of their co-hosting ⁠of the 2030 World Cup with Portugal and Spain. (Reuters)
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Morocco Show Their Credentials in Impressive Quarter-Final Performance

Morocco have invested heavily in ensuring a showpiece tournament, putting their best foot forward ahead of their co-hosting ⁠of the 2030 World Cup with Portugal and Spain. (Reuters)
Morocco have invested heavily in ensuring a showpiece tournament, putting their best foot forward ahead of their co-hosting ⁠of the 2030 World Cup with Portugal and Spain. (Reuters)

Morocco might finally have found their straps at the Africa Cup of Nations, advancing to the semi-finals for the first time in 22 years after a 2-0 win over Cameroon on Friday and beginning to look like real prospects for a first title in 50 years.

Coach Walid Regragui labelled it one of their best performances since the last World Cup in Qatar where they became the first African country to reach the last four.

Morocco were the hot favorites going into the Cup of Nations but did not impress in their opening matches at the tournament, looking nervy and under ‌the weight ‌of expectation on them as the host country.

But ‌in ⁠Friday’s quarter-final ‌in Rabat they were bustling with intensity, aggressively pressing their opponent and continually winning possession and spending most of the match on the front foot, restricting Cameroon to only a handful of half chances.

“The first half was probably the best we’ve played since the World Cup,” the coach said.

“We quickly created opportunities; a lot of corners and our opening goal came ⁠from a set piece. Our win was deserved even though things evened out a bit in ‌the second half."

Morocco were ahead as Ayoub ‍El Kaabi’s header was brushed ‍into the net off Brahim Diaz and they got a second ‍goal in the 74th minute from Ismael Saibari.

It was a win furiously celebrated at the final whistle by the Morocco squad, showing their relief as they have felt a heavy burden of pressure since the tournament kicked off some three weeks ago.

Morocco have invested heavily in ensuring a showpiece tournament, putting their best foot forward ahead of their co-hosting ⁠of the 2030 World Cup with Portugal and Spain.

It is supposed to go hand in hand with success for their team, who have been top ranked in Africa for some four years but have a long history of failure at the Cup of Nations.

They have won the tournament only once previously, in 1976.

Regragui has consistently referred to Morocco’s poor Cup of Nations record and warned both his players and the home support to temper expectation and show “humility”.

"We need to just keep going one game at a time. We have not done anything yet," he said after Friday’s ‌win.

Morocco will find out the identity of their semi-final opponent on Saturday after Algeria and Nigeria’s meeting in Marrakesh.