Barcelona defended its Spanish Super Cup crown with a thrilling 3-2 victory over Real Madrid in Jeddah on Sunday, powered by a brace from Raphinha.
The final at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium delivered high drama, especially in the closing minutes of the first half when four goals were scored in quick succession. Barcelona broke the deadlock in the 36th minute as Raphinha burst into the box and drilled a low shot past Thibaut Courtois.
Real Madrid responded in stoppage time when Vinicius Jr produced a stunning solo run from midfield, skipping past defenders before finishing into the far corner. Moments later, Robert Lewandowski restored Barcelona’s lead with a delicate chip, only for Gonzalo Garcia to equalise from a rebound off the bar just before halftime.
Barcelona regained control in the second half. In the 73rd minute, Raphinha struck again, his deflected shot wrong-footing Courtois to put his side ahead once more.
The tension escalated in the final minutes as Barcelona went down to 10 men after Frenkie de Jong received a red card for a foul on Kylian Mbappe. Real Madrid pressed hard with their numerical advantage, but goalkeeper Joan Garcia produced crucial saves to deny Alvaro Carreras and Raul Asencio.
Barcelona held firm to clinch its 16th Spanish Super Cup title, with Raphinha’s brace proving decisive in a classic El Clásico showdown.
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