Barcelona beat Real Madrid in Spanish Super Cup

Barcelona once again asserted their dominance over arch-rivals Real Madrid, edging out a pulsating 3–2 victory in the Spanish Super Cup final held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The triumph marked Barcelona’s record-extending 16th Super Cup title and continued their recent supremacy in El Clásico clashes.

Brazilian winger Raphinha delivered a standout performance, scoring twice to inspire the Catalan side, while Robert Lewandowski added another crucial goal. Despite finishing the match with ten men after Frenkie de Jong’s late red card, Barcelona held firm to lift the trophy.

First-Half Fireworks in Jeddah

Barcelona opened the scoring after 36 minutes, with Raphinha making amends for an earlier miss by firing a low shot beyond Thibaut Courtois into the far corner. The goal rewarded Barcelona’s growing pressure after a controlled but initially scrappy start in the Saudi evening heat.

Real Madrid responded swiftly through Vinícius Júnior, who ended a lengthy goal drought with a brilliant solo effort. The Brazilian drifted in from the left, slipped the ball through Jules Koundé’s legs, and calmly beat Joan García to level the match.

Just as the game seemed destined for halftime parity, Barcelona struck again. Pedri’s incisive pass found Lewandowski, who delicately chipped the ball over Courtois in first-half stoppage time. However, Madrid refused to go in behind, as Gonzalo García capitalised on a rebound off the crossbar to equalise seconds before the break.

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📊 Match Summary Table

Raphinha Decides the Final

The second half settled into a more measured rhythm, with both teams managing their energy and limiting clear chances. Goalkeepers Joan García and Courtois were called into action, denying efforts from Rodrygo and teenage sensation Lamine Yamal respectively.

The decisive moment arrived in the 73rd minute. Raphinha unleashed a strike from distance that took a deflection off Raúl Asencio, wrong-footing Courtois and sealing the win for Barcelona. The goal capped another excellent outing for the Brazilian, who now boasts seven goals in his last five matches across all competitions.

Late Drama and Missed Chances

Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso introduced Kylian Mbappé for the final 15 minutes as he searched for an equaliser. The French forward, returning from a knee sprain, struggled to find space, though his presence forced Barcelona deeper.

Barcelona’s night became tense when Frenkie de Jong was shown a red card for a high challenge on Mbappé. Despite the numerical advantage, Madrid failed to capitalise. In fact, Barcelona nearly sealed the match late on, but Marcus Rashford fired wide when clean through.

At the other end, Asencio had a final chance to level the score but headed straight at García, who made a comfortable save to preserve the victory.

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A Promising Sign for Barcelona’s Season

The Spanish Super Cup win represents the fourth trophy under coach Hansi Flick, who has now won all four Clásicos against Real Madrid since taking charge. Flick’s tactical choices — including starting Lewandowski and restoring Yamal to the right flank — once again paid dividends.

Notably, the last four Super Cup winners have gone on to lift the La Liga title, a statistic that will fuel optimism among Barcelona supporters as the domestic season progresses.

Why This Win Matters

• Confirms Barcelona’s recent dominance in El Clásico

• Highlights Raphinha’s rise as a key attacking force

• Strengthens Barcelona’s La Liga title ambitions

• Reinforces Hansi Flick’s successful rebuilding project