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The final scoreline may not have accurately reflected the events on the pitch, but Real Madrid’s 3-0 victory over Mallorca in the Spanish Super Cup semifinal was enough to secure their spot in the final. Despite Mallorca’s resilient defense, which kept Madrid at bay for over an hour, the Spanish champions eventually broke through courtesy of Jude Bellingham’s clinical strike in the 63rd minute.
Bellingham’s goal, his eighth in 10 games across all competitions, was the culmination of an excellent team move. The England midfielder slotted home the rebound after Rodrygo’s header from Vinicius Junior’s cross hit the upright and Kylian Mbappe’s effort was parried by the scrambling Dominik Greif. Madrid’s breakthrough came after a blistering move that saw Rodrygo’s header and Mbappe’s shot kept out by the post and Greif.
Mallorca’s tightly-packed defensive low block began to show signs of wear after Bellingham’s opener. The Spanish side struggled to find a way back into the game, and their efforts were further hampered when Martin Valjent scored an own goal in stoppage time. Valjent stretched to cut out a pass but slid the ball into his own goal, sealing Madrid’s win. Rodrygo then wrapped up the victory with a late third goal from close range.
Madrid will now face arch-rivals Barcelona in the Super Cup final on Sunday, January 12, seeking revenge for their heavy Clasico defeat in La Liga in October. The Spanish champions made the early running against Mallorca, with Lucas Vazquez and Rodrygo Goes coming close in the opening stages. Kylian Mbappe also appealed for a penalty after going down under pressure from Dani Rodriguez, but it would have been a soft call.
Despite losing Aurelien Tchouameni to injury early in the second half, Madrid continued to press and eventually broke through Mallorca’s defense. The win sets up a thrilling final showdown with Barcelona, with Madrid seeking to repeat their Super Cup triumph from last season. Jagoba Arrasate’s Mallorca had done well to restrict Madrid to few clear chances in the first half, but ultimately couldn’t withstand the Spanish champions’ relentless pressure.
