MADRID: Real Madrid claimed a small edge on city rivals Atletico Madrid with a tight 2-1 Champions League last 16 first-leg win on Tuesday.
Julian Alvarez levelled for Atletico after Rodrygo Goes sent the hosts ahead, but Brahim Diaz stroked home the winner for the record 15-time winners to delight the Santiago Bernabeu stadium.
Diego Simeone’s Atletico, who lost in the 2014 and 2016 finals against their bitter rivals, kept stars Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe quiet but still came up short.
The Rojiblancos played it safe in the final stages, seeming to accept their one-goal disadvantage for the second leg derby clash at home next week.
Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti opted for Morocco international Diaz in midfield to replace the suspended Jude Bellingham and selected Fede Valverde at right-back after he was passed fit to play.
The Italian had demanded his side show a better attitude and more commitment than during their La Liga defeat by Real Betis on Saturday and his charges delivered.
Rodrygo pounced after just four minutes, slipping inside Javi Galan to collect Valverde’s teasing pass before firing home with his left foot across Jan Oblak and inside the far post.
It was the Brazilian winger’s fifth strike of the tournament, habitually shining on the European stage for Madrid, where he boasts 25 goals in 61 appearances.
Rodrygo wanted a penalty when Galan appeared to hold him back in the area but his appeals were waved away.
His compatriot Vinicius came close to netting Madrid’s second as he surged into the box but Jose Gimenez blocked his shot well.
Atletico began to create danger of their own and Valverde hacked away Giuliano Simeone’s whipped ball from under his own crossbar under pressure from Samuel Lino.
Alvarez levelled with a brilliant individual goal, dancing away from Eduardo Camavinga on the left of the box and curling his shot past Thibaut Courtois into the top corner.
The former Manchester City striker has been in sublime form in the past few weeks, notching 10 goals in 14 matches and proving why Atletico made him their second most expensive signing of all-time last summer.
Antoine Griezmann and Rodrigo De Paul helped Atletico keep control for long periods, with Madrid finding it hard to take the ball back from their rivals.
That made it all the more surprising when Diaz restored Los Blancos’ lead in the 55th minute.
The midfielder left Gimenez on the floor with some quick footwork and carved out the space for a tidy low finish, before leaping into the crowd to celebrate.
Griezmann fired wide and Gimenez over as Atletico looked for a response and Ancelotti brought on 39-year-old midfielder Luka Modric in search of more control.
The Croatian delivered just that and neither side threatened in the final half hour of the match until stoppage time, when Madrid might have secured a third.
Mbappe’s cut-back from the right was behind Vinicius who was waiting for a tap-in, and Oblak saved from Modric in the aftermath.
Atletico host Real Madrid next week at the Metropolitano stadium, with the winner facing Arsenal or PSV Eindhoven in the quarter-finals.
Diaz earns Real Madrid lead on Atletico in Champions League derby clash
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Diaz earns Real Madrid lead on Atletico in Champions League derby clash
- Atletico began to create danger of their own and Valverde hacked away Giuliano Simeone’s whipped ball from under his own crossbar under pressure from Samuel Lino
‘We have been empowered’: 2025 SEF Awards shine a light on Saudi Arabia’s rapidly evolving esports sector
- Leading voices from from the Kingdom’s gaming industry share their thoughts on the sector with Arab News at the 6th annual awards ceremony
RIYADH: Esports took center stage in Riyadh on Thursday night as the stars of the past year were honored at the SEF Awards 2025 in a night of celebration at Boulevard City’s SEF Arena.
While the winners had plenty to celebrate on the night, prior to the ceremony Arab News also chatted with some of the key figures from the Saudi Esports Federation to discuss the development of Saudi Arabia’s wider esports landscape and the achievements so far.
Riyadh has in recent years worked to establish itself as a major hub for international esports, hosting annual events such as Gamers8, the Esports World Cup and the FIFAe World Cup among others, and the federation has played a central role in developing and shaping the industry to help achieve this.
Loay Al-Mujadidi, the federation’s chief esports and commercial officer, attributed the growth of the esports industry in Saudi Arabia to several factors, all led by unified national backing for the sector.
“First of all, it comes down to the amazing support from the government,” he said. “We have been empowered with a great deal of resources and entrusted to deliver more.
“And I believe the real driver here is that the Saudi population and the residents here genuinely love gaming.”
This passion for gaming is reflected in the numbers of people in the country involved in esports.
“We have more than 2,300 players registered at the professional level, and last year we witnessed the participation of more than 240,000 students in the School League, as well as 45 universities competing in the University League,” Al-Mujadidi said.
Ibrahim Al-Sheddi, chief shared services officer at the federation, highlighted a cohesive national strategy for esports as a key catalyst for growth.
“When you look at the national strategy of gaming and esports, part of it is to engage with the community and increase the number of participants to enable all talents around the Kingdom to enter the sector,” he said.
“As you know, esports is still considered a niche sector and Saudi Arabia is the only government investing at this scale.”
This investment is already paying dividends, Al-Sheddi said, as Saudi Arabia has one of the most digitally engaged populations in the world.
“When you have 67 percent of the population under 30 identifying as gamers, this provides you with the foundation to transform esports and make it a genuine investment and long-term career path for the talent,” he added.
Al-Mujadidi echoed this assessment, noting that career-development opportunities in esports extend beyond players.
“You now have coaches, referees, casters and analysts,” he said. “There’s a whole adjacent universe being built next to the core of these sports, and we are continuing to work with the Saudi Esports Federation Academy to boost these career paths, and increase them as well.”
These initiatives and opportunities extend to female players, a rapidly growing segment of the global esports industry and one that is increasingly prominent in Saudi Arabia. The federation’s CEO, Rawan Al-Butairi, highlighted this shift and said the organization is taking a structural approach to inclusivity for women.
“Beyond the fundamental role of having a specific genre in our league that truly caters for female players, we have offerings that are part of our academy designed to specifically support them,” she said.
“We also run initiatives where we showcase important female role models, such as Najd Fahad and Modhi Al-Kanhal, and support different clubs to ensure that we do right by the female community.”
Al-Kanhal was one of the standout winners on Thursday night, claiming the Best Female Player award.
Al-Butairi also emphasized youth empowerment as a key pillar for the continued development of esports.
“The youth are the true lifeblood for the growth of this sector and, honestly, they make our role here easier,” she said. “Hence, I think it is a fundamental tool to ensure we grow in a more sustainable way.”
Musaed Al-Dawsari, one of Saudi Arabia’s most accomplished esports competitors and CEO of Team Falcons, which was crowned Best Club during the awards ceremony, echoed the optimism voiced by the federation executives.
“As a gamer, I couldn’t be happier,” he said. “Saudi Arabia wants to be at the center of the esports world, and I think we’ve already reached that point.”
This year marked the sixth annual SEF Awards, organized by the Saudi Esports Federation. The event honored the cream of esports talent across 22 categories, including three that were new this year.
The ceremony also serves as a celebration of the rapidly evolving Saudi esports sector, organizers said, by recognizing the achievements of players, clubs, content creators and the wider community.
