JEDDAH:
Barcelona overturned an early deficit to defeat Real Madrid 5-2 in the Spanish Super Cup final, securing their record 15th title. The match played at King Abdullah Sport City, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Sunday.
Despite their goalkeeper being sent off, the Catalan side delivered a dominant first-half performance, scoring four goals before the break. Lamine Yamal, Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, and Alejandro Balde all found the net after Kylian Mbappé had given Real Madrid a fifth-minute lead.
Raphinha added another in the second half, with Rodrygo replying for Real.
Barcelona’s victory marked their first trophy in over a year, following a season without silverware. Head coach Hansi Flick, celebrating his inaugural title with the club, remarked, “Winning titles is the goal for big clubs, and that’s what we work hard for. Now we must maintain this level in the upcoming matches.”
He credited Barcelona’s ability to exploit Real Madrid’s errors as key to controlling the match.
The defeat denied Real Madrid their third trophy of the season, having already won the European Super Cup against Atalanta and the Intercontinental Cup against Pachuca.
Real’s coach, Carlo Ancelotti, expressed frustration with his team’s first-half performance, stating, “We played poorly, relying on long balls, which was not the plan. Losing is acceptable, but not in the manner we played today.”
Mbappé opened the scoring with a skilful solo effort, driving from the halfway line to slot the ball inside the far post. However, Barcelona quickly responded, with Yamal equalising in the 22nd minute and Lewandowski converting a penalty 14 minutes later after Eduardo Camavinga fouled Gavi.
Raphinha extended the lead with a well-timed header from a Jules Koundé cross, and Balde added a fourth in stoppage time, capitalising on Raphinha’s unselfish play.
Rodrygo hit the crossbar early in the second half, momentarily raising hopes for a Real Madrid comeback. However, Raphinha dashed those aspirations with a slaloming run through Real’s defence to score Barcelona’s fifth.
Wojciech Szczesny’s dismissal for fouling Mbappé in the 56th minute reduced Barcelona to 10 men, and Rodrygo converted the resulting free kick.
Despite this, Real failed to mount a significant challenge, managing only one late shot on target from Mbappé, which was saved by substitute keeper Iñaki Peña.
Barcelona endured further setbacks with an injury to defender Iñigo Martínez in the first half, prompting Ronald Araújo to replace him.
This final marked the third consecutive meeting between the two clubs in the competition, with Real Madrid victorious last year and Barcelona winning in 2023.
Barcelona secured their place in the final with a 2-0 semi-final win over Spanish Cup holders Athletic Bilbao, while Real Madrid defeated last year’s Copa del Rey finalists Mallorca 3-0.