By Olukayode Olumuyiwa.
Barcelona have retained the Spanish Super Cup in dramatic fashion, defeating arch-rivals Real Madrid 3-2 at the King Abdullah Sport City Stadium. A clinical brace from Raphinha proved to be the difference in an end-to-end encounter that extended Barcelona’s remarkable winning streak to 10 matches across all competitions.
The victory marks the first time the Catalans have successfully defended the trophy since 2011, and it maintains a staggering offensive record: Hansi Flick’s side has now scored two or more goals in every single game of their current winning run.
A Frenetic First Half
The match, played in a raucous atmosphere at the stadium known as the ‘Jewel,’ began with Real Madrid on the front foot. Vinícius Júnior had an early opportunity to open the scoring but fired his effort directly at Barcelona goalkeeper Joan García.
As the half progressed, Barcelona settled into their signature passing rhythm. The game grew increasingly physical, with Madrid’s Álvaro Carreras lucky to remain on the pitch after a dangerous studs-up challenge on Lamine Yamal.
The breakthrough eventually came through Raphinha, who slid the ball past Thibaut Courtois to give Barça the lead. Real Madrid responded instantly against the run of play, with Vinícius Júnior showcasing a moment of individual brilliance to equalise in first-half stoppage time. However, the drama was far from over before the whistle; Robert Lewandowski beat the offside trap to lob Courtois for Barcelona’s second, only for Madrid’s Gonzalo García to scramble home another equalizer from a corner just moments later.
Raphinha’s Decisive Moment
The second half saw Real Madrid come out with renewed purpose. Joan García was forced into another smart save to deny Vinícius what looked like a certain goal.
As the match entered its final 20 minutes, both managers turned to their benches to find a winner. Thibaut Courtois produced a stunning point-blank save to keep Madrid in the game, but he was finally beaten for a third time in the closing stages. Raphinha found space for a right-footed shot that took a “wicked” deflection off Raúl Asencio, wrong-footing the keeper and nestling in the back of the net.
Holding the Line
The final minutes were tense, particularly after Barcelona lost Frenkie de Jong following a heavy challenge on Kylian Mbappé. Despite a late surge from Los Blancos, the Barcelona defense held firm to see out the 3-2 victory and lift the silverware once again.
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