On the night of January 13th, Beijing time, a series of thrilling football matches took place across various leagues, including La Liga, Serie A, the Spanish Super Cup final, and the FA Cup. Notable teams such as Real Madrid, Barcelona, Arsenal, Manchester United, Atletico Madrid, and Inter Milan were in action. Among the highlights, Barcelona defeated Real Madrid 5-2 to claim the title, Manchester United eliminated Arsenal on penalties with a score of 6-4, and Atletico Madrid achieved their 14th consecutive victory.
In the Spanish Super Cup final, two giants met for the third consecutive year, with Real Madrid just one title behind Barcelona. Real Madrid started strong with a goal from Mbappe within the first ten minutes, but their defense crumbled shortly after. Barcelona scored four goals in a span of 33 minutes, with goals from Yarmal, Lewandowski, Rafinha, and Balde, turning the game around from a 0-1 deficit to a 4-1 lead. In the second half, Rafinha added another goal for Barcelona, making it 5-1. However, goalkeeper Szczesny was sent off for a red card tackle on Mbappe, leading to a goal from Rodrigo, reducing the score to 2-5. Despite this, Real Madrid could not overcome the deficit, and Barcelona secured their 15th Spanish Super Cup title, their first trophy of the season.
In the FA Cup, Arsenal and Manchester United faced off, with both teams having a rich history in the competition. Manchester United needed a win to advance. The first half saw no goals, with Arsenal's goal from Martinelli ruled out due to offside. In the second half, Manchester United took the lead through a goal from B fee, assisted by Garnacho. However, Dalot received a red card, giving Arsenal an opportunity to equalize, which they did through Gabriel's goal. Havertz created a penalty, but Odegaard's attempt was saved. After a 30-minute extra time that ended in a 1-1 draw, Manchester United won the penalty shootout 5-3, eliminating Arsenal and securing their place in the FA Cup 32 for the 11th consecutive season. Their next opponent will be Leicester City, coached by Van Nistelrooy.
In La Liga, Atletico Madrid continued their impressive form with a 1-0 victory over Osasuna. Having already achieved 13 consecutive victories, Atletico Madrid aimed to extend their winning streak. Despite an early disallowed goal from Griezmann and missed opportunities from Alvarez, Atletico Madrid broke the deadlock in the 54th minute when Lenglet's header set up Alvarez for a shot that found the back of the net. This goal proved decisive, and Atletico Madrid now holds a record of 14 consecutive victories across all competitions, surpassing their previous best. With eight consecutive wins in La Liga, they have accumulated 44 points, overtaking reigning champions Real Madrid to top the league table and secure the halfway championship.
In Serie A, Inter Milan faced Venezia, looking to bounce back after being overturned by Milan in the Italian Super Cup. Inter Milan controlled the game, with Damian scoring the only goal in the 16th minute after Lautaro's initial shot was saved. Despite several close calls in the second half, Inter Milan held on for a 1-0 victory, extending their winning streak to six games in the league. They now sit second in the standings with 43 points, just one point behind Napoli with a game in hand.