JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia: Real Madrid are chasing their dream of equalling a record 14th Spanish Super Cup title in the final against Barcelona after second-half goals from Jude Bellingham and Rodrygo helped them win 3-0 over Mallorca in the semi-final early this morning.

England midfielder Bellingham broke the deadlock after the hour mark with a flicked shot into the centre of the goal before an own goal by Mallorca defender Martin Valjent doubled the lead in injury time followed by Rodrygo’s close-range strike.

Spanish champions Real will face Barcelona for the trophy on Sunday after goals from Gavi and Lamine Yamal gave Barca a 2-0 win over Athletic Bilbao early yesterday morning.

Barcelona and Real will face each other in the final of the competition for the third time in a row, with Carlo Ancelotti’s men winning last year while Barca last lifted the trophy in 2023.

Barcelona holds the record with 14 championships while Real has 13.

The Spanish Super Cup has been contested by four teams since 2020, featuring the winners and runners-up of La Liga and the Copa del Rey.

LIVERPOOL: Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has defended Trent Alexander-Arnold over his lacklustre display against Manchester United.

Van Dijk also rejected the notion that Real Madrid’s desire to sign his teammate was the cause of Alexander-Arnold’s negative impact.

Alexander-Arnold was the source of Lisandro Martinez’s opening goal which saw the two teams tied 2-2 at Anfield, thus showing that the player’s performance was below his true standard.

The right-back’s lackluster performance has been ongoing for a long time and has often been the subject of debate regarding his future with the English Premier League (EPL) leaders.

The 26-year-old’s contract is set to expire at the end of this season and this means he can now sign a pre-contract with a club abroad.

Spanish giants Real reportedly made a bid to sign him but Liverpool are believed to have rejected the offer.

Liverpool are scheduled to face Tottenham in London on Wednesday in the first leg of their League Cup semi-final.

“Trent has people around him, his family and we are here for him too,” said Van Dijk.

“He wants to perform at the best level possible, just like we do. That’s the main focus.”

MANCHESTER: Marcus Rashford is reportedly doubling down on his efforts to leave Manchester United this month as he holds talks with top sporting agencies.

Before losing to Newcastle, Rashford was left out four times by new manager Ruben Amorim, sparking speculation about the striker’s future at Old Trafford.

Rashford then revealed he was willing to take on the new challenge and has now taken the first step in his bid to leave United.

According to The Sun, Rashford has met with leading sports agency Stellar to help him leave Old Trafford in this month’s transfer window.

The same agency helped Gareth Bale move from Tottenham Hotspur to Real Madrid in 2013.

The United star is currently represented by his brother Dwaine Maynard who is ready to work with Stellar to make his brother’s move happen.

Rashford’s last appearance for United was on December 12 when he played 56 minutes against Viktoria Plzen in the Europa League.

He was dropped from the squad for the games against Manchester City, Tottenham, Bournemouth and Wolves.

Rashford, whose contract with United only expires in the summer of 2028, made 426 appearances for the club and scored 138 goals.

MANCHESTER: Harry Maguire revealed why new manager Ruben Amorim is facing a difficult situation at Manchester United, and the former captain blamed the squad for not being good enough.

United slipped to 14th in the Premier League after a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Wolves – their fifth defeat in 10 games under Amorim.

Matheus Cunha opened the scoring directly from a corner, the second time in a week that United had been conceded in the same way, before Hwang Hee-chan refused to go in after injury.

Bruno Fernandes was also sent off after receiving two yellow cards and Maguire expressed the differences between Amorim and former manager Erik ten Hag.

“I think it is very difficult for the controller and his troops to come because the method is not the same as the old controller.

“They are different in terms of what they want and demand, so it is difficult for them because they want to improve the team’s performance in defensive patterns and set-piece situations.

“He’s not good enough for us and the fans,” said Maguire, who has regained his place in the starting line-up under Amorim.

United have been conceded 10 times from set pieces this season and Maguire is worried that their weaknesses will continue to be targeted by opponents.

“If it happens often, you can’t blame luck, but it’s hard to swallow the fact that twice the opponent scored goals from corner kicks.

“I don’t think the Tottenham network is legitimate, but I haven’t seen this one. There are situations that cannot be avoided, but apart from that you need to assess your own mistakes and correct them,” he said.

LIVERPOOL, England: Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca insisted he was “really happy” despite his team losing their grip on the Premier League title race following a goalless draw at Everton late last night.

The Blues can take top spot from Liverpool if they win at Goodison Park before the leaders meet Tottenham Hotspur at home early this morning.

Chelsea, on the other hand, saw their eight-game winning streak come to an end as they failed to score for the first time since October.

With Liverpool winning 6-3 in a remarkable match in north London, it meant Chelsea finished the day in second place – four points behind the Reds and having played a game more than the leaders.

Maresca – speaking before Liverpool’s victory was confirmed – said: “I’m really happy. I just told the players I’m happier today than I was after the game with Brentford (which they won 2-1 last weekend).

“The reason I’m a bit worried about this match: tough match, tough stadium, tough team.”

He added: “Defensively they are the best, they are one of the top five teams in Europe in terms of clean sheets so you struggle to create chances against them.

“It’s not an easy game and you have to learn to play differently. Football is not just about how good you are with the ball, it’s also about how you defend and how you deal with it.”

It was Everton’s first match since the Friedkin Group (TFG) completed its takeover of the Liverpool club, with new executive chairman Marc Watts in the Goodison crowd late last night.

It was Everton’s second consecutive goalless draw after a 0-0 draw at Arsenal last weekend but Toffees boss Sean Dyche, whose contract expires at the end of the season, knows only a win will impress the club’s American owner.