Barcelona Came from Behind to Win an Incident-Packed Final
Barcelona produced a dominant display to beat Real Madrid 5-2 in an eventful Spanish Super Cup final held in Saudi Arabia.
The match began with Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe scoring a stunning solo goal, running from the halfway line and calmly slotting past Wojciech Szczesny to give his side an early lead. However, Barcelona quickly responded in the 22nd minute when Lamine Yamal expertly finished into the bottom corner following a precise pass from Robert Lewandowski.
Hansi Flick’s side took full control of the game before halftime. Lewandowski converted a penalty after Gavi was fouled, giving Barcelona the lead. Moments later, Raphinha extended the advantage with a powerful header, and the Brazilian winger then set up Alex Balde for Barcelona’s fourth goal deep into first-half stoppage time.
Barcelona didn’t let up after the break, with Raphinha scoring his second of the game just three minutes into the second half, bringing the score to 5-1.
However, Barcelona faced a setback when goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny was sent off in the 56th minute for a foul on Mbappe outside the penalty area. Substitute keeper Inaki Pena couldn’t prevent Real Madrid’s Rodrygo from curling in the resulting free-kick, reducing the deficit to 5-2. Despite this, Real Madrid couldn’t mount a comeback, and Barcelona secured their 15th Spanish Super Cup title.
This victory marks the second high-scoring Clasico win for Barcelona under Hansi Flick, following their 4-0 victory at the Bernabeu in October. It is also Flick’s first trophy with Barcelona, adding to his impressive résumé after his Bundesliga title success with Bayern Munich in 2020-21.
Unexpected Result
The result at King Abdullah Sports City surprised many, given Real Madrid’s strong form heading into the final.
Real Madrid had won their last five games across all competitions, with their last loss dating back to December 4. In contrast, Barcelona had struggled in recent weeks, winning just one of their last seven La Liga games and trailing Real Madrid by five points in the league table.
Wojciech Szczesny’s red card was a significant moment in the game. The veteran goalkeeper, who came out of retirement earlier this season, had kept clean sheets in his previous two appearances for Barcelona. However, this dismissal may jeopardize his role moving forward.
Former Leeds winger Raphinha was a standout performer, scoring twice and bringing his season tally to 19 goals. Meanwhile, Lewandowski continued his prolific form, netting his 26th goal of the season.
This marks the third consecutive Clasico Spanish Super Cup final, with Barcelona winning in 2023 and Real Madrid claiming victory in 2022.
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