Barcelona defeat Real Madrid 3-2 to clinch Spanish Super Cup
Under new head coach Hansi Flick, Barcelona once again proved their dominance over Real Madrid, having also defeated them in last year’s final.
KATHMANDU: Barcelona have lifted the Spanish Super Cup after edging past arch-rivals Real Madrid 3-2 in a thrilling final held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
The victory marks Barça’s second consecutive Super Cup title and their 16th overall triumph in the competition.
Under new head coach Hansi Flick, Barcelona once again proved their dominance over Real Madrid, having also defeated them in last year’s final.
Raphinha emerged as the hero of the night, scoring the decisive goal in the 73rd minute.
He had earlier opened the scoring in the 36th minute to give Barcelona the lead.
The match turned dramatic towards the end of the first half, with three quick goals in added time.
Vinícius Júnior equalized in the second minute of stoppage time, netting his first goal for Real Madrid after a 17-game drought.
Just two minutes later, Robert Lewandowski restored Barcelona’s lead, but Gonzalo García struck again in the sixth minute of injury time to make it 2-2 at halftime.
Late in the game, Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong was shown a straight red card for a foul on Kylian Mbappé, adding more tension to the closing moments.
Both teams created chances in the final minutes, but no further goals were scored.
With this victory, Barcelona have won back-to-back Spanish Super Cup titles for the first time since 2011, further cementing their legacy in Spanish football.
