REAL Madrid beat Valencia 3-1 Wednesday in the first semifinal of the Spanish Super Cup behind goals from Toni Kroos, Isco and Luka Modric in Saudi Arabia.

Why is the Spanish Super Cup being held in Saudi Arabia? This year’s edition of the largely pointless competition — heretofore contested annually by the previous season’s La Liga and Copa del Rey champions — has ballooned to four teams to include the best finishers to not have won either competition.

That meant that Barcelona (La Liga winner and Copa del Rey runner-up), Valencia (Copa del Rey winner), Atletico Madrid (La Liga runner-up), and Real Madrid (La Liga third place) constitute the field.

Kroos caught Valencia goalkeeper Jaume Domenech napping with a brilliant, instinctive strike before Isco made it two and Luka Modric added a classy third from a curling finish with the outside of his foot.

After two superb goals, the only shame was more fans were not there to see them given the King Abdullah Sports City stadium appeared only a little more than half full.

The official attendance was given as 40,877 out of a capacity of 62,345.

Dani Parejo scored a late Valencia penalty but Madrid advance to Sunday’s final where they will meet the winner of Thursday’s second semifinal between Barcelona and Atletico Madrid.

“I’m happy with the whole performance,” said Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane.

“For the goal of Isco, because maybe he needed that, the genius of Kroos and then something that only Modric can do. But it is a semifinal, we haven’t won anything yet.”

Barca coach Ernesto Valverde had said earlier Wednesday that he preferred the traditional format of this competition, which pitted the La Liga champions against the winners of the Copa del Rey in a match in Spain in August.

Under those rules, Real Madrid, who finished third in the league last term and failed to reach the final of the cup would not even have qualified but they now have the chance to win their first trophy of the season, possibly against Barca in a Clasico final.(SD-Agencies)