Real Madrid defeats Mallorca to set up Supercopa final against Barcelona

European champions and La Liga titleholders Real Madrid defeated Mallorca 3-0, setting up a Spanish Super Cup final clash against arch-rivals Barcelona on Sunday. This victory secured Real Madrid's progression to the final, where they will compete with Barcelona for the Super Cup title.

In the match held in Saudi Arabia, Bellingham scored a goal in the second half to give Real Madrid the lead, ultimately leading to a 3-0 victory over Mallorca. This win also provided Real Madrid with an opportunity for revenge after their heavy defeat to Barcelona in the La Liga fixture in October. With strong support from the Jeddah fans, Real Madrid maintained a firm grip on the game, with Martin Valjent scoring an own goal in added time and Rodrygo adding another goal from close range late in the match, sealing the victory.

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti praised his team's attacking prowess in the second half. "When the forwards are lively, anything is possible," he said, referring to his front three and Bellingham. "These four (forwards) are very dangerous, it's obvious, everyone can see their quality." Real Madrid launched an offensive early in the game, with Lucas Vazquez and Rodrygo Goes both having good shooting opportunities.

During the match, Mbappé went down after a challenge with Dani Rodriguez, but the referee did not award a penalty. Mallorca gradually stabilized, successfully limiting further attacks from the Spanish and European champions in the first half. Early in the second half, Tchouameni suffered a head injury in a collision with Cyle Larin and was forced to leave the field. Although frustrated at being substituted, he was replaced for safety reasons. In the 63rd minute, Bellingham broke the deadlock, while Mallorca goalkeeper Dominik Greif made multiple saves to deny Rodrygo and Mbappé.

Real Madrid launched a fierce attack, with Vinicius Junior's cross headed onto the post by Rodrygo, and Mbappé's shot saved by Greif. Bellingham was in the right place at the right time to calmly slot the ball into the net, continuing his excellent personal form. The England international has scored 8 goals for Real Madrid in his last 10 games. His teammate Tchouameni said after the match: "Jude is an exceptional player. He always helps us win games with goals, assists, or his effort." He also added that he was not injured from the head collision.

Mallorca struggled to find opportunities to counterattack, eventually scoring an own goal in the match, with Valjent inadvertently sliding the ball into his own net while attempting to intercept a pass. Rodrygo scored another goal late in the match, securing the victory and setting up a repeat of last season's Spanish Super Cup final. Real Madrid will wait to see if Modric will be available for Sunday's final, with the midfielder missing Thursday's match due to illness. The club issued a statement hours before the semi-final, stating: "Our player Luka Modric is absent from the match against Mallorca due to a viral infection." The 39-year-old Croatian midfielder scored in last week's La Liga match against Valencia, becoming the oldest goalscorer in Real Madrid's history.