Daijiworld Media Network - Jeddah
Jeddah, Jan 12: Raphinha emerged as the match-winner as FC Barcelona successfully defended the Spanish Super Cup title with a dramatic 3-2 victory over arch-rivals Real Madrid in a pulsating final.
The Brazilian winger played a decisive role, opening the scoring for Barcelona and later netting the winning goal in the second half, aided by a fortunate deflection. Real Madrid pushed relentlessly for an equaliser until the final whistle, but Barcelona held firm to clinch the trophy.
Madrid began the contest without Kylian Mbappe in the starting lineup, while Dean Huijsen replaced Antonio Rudiger in defence. Coach Xabi Alonso opted for a cautious approach, setting his side up to defend deep and exploit counter-attacking opportunities. Barcelona, mindful of Madrid’s pace on the break, adopted a controlled approach in the early stages.
The opening half-hour saw few clear chances, though Vinicius Junior and Gonzalo Garcia both tested Barcelona goalkeeper Joan Garcia with tame efforts. Gradually, Barcelona began to assert themselves, pushing Madrid deeper into their own half. Fermin Lopez was denied by Thibaut Courtois, while Raphinha fired wide after being set up by Lamine Yamal.
The breakthrough arrived in the 36th minute when Raphinha drilled a low shot past Courtois to give Barcelona the lead. With Yamal growing in influence, Barca threatened to extend their advantage, but Courtois kept Madrid in the contest with further saves, including another denial of Fermin.
Madrid struck back in first-half stoppage time through Vinicius, who collected the ball near the halfway line, outpaced Jules Kounde, cut inside Pau Cubarsi, and finished clinically past Garcia. However, Barcelona responded almost immediately. Robert Lewandowski restored Barca’s lead with a composed finish after being played through by Pedri, prompting protests from Madrid players who felt the half should have already ended.
The drama continued when play was extended, allowing Madrid to equalise moments later. Following a corner, Huijsen’s header rebounded off the bar and Gonzalo Garcia reacted quickest to poke the ball home, making it 2-2 at the break.
The second half saw chances at both ends, with Vinicius and Rodrygo testing Garcia, who produced important saves. The decisive moment came in the 73rd minute when Raphinha turned sharply on the edge of the area and unleashed a shot that deflected off Raul Asencio, wrong-footing Courtois and finding the net.
Late drama followed as Madrid threw everything forward in search of an equaliser. Barcelona were reduced to 10 men after Frenkie de Jong was sent off for a high challenge on Mbappe, who had come on as a substitute. Despite sustained pressure in injury time, efforts from Alvaro Carreras and Aurelien Tchouameni were comfortably dealt with by Garcia.
When the final whistle blew, Barcelona celebrated a hard-fought but deserved triumph, with Raphinha’s brace proving decisive in a thrilling Spanish Super Cup final.