Coach Hansi Flick won his first title with FC Barcelona and also dealt arch-rivals Real Madrid a crushing defeat in the Spanish Supercopa. In the final, which took place at the King Abdullah Stadium in Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, the Catalans humiliated defending champions Real with 5:2 (4:1). Lamine Yamal, Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha twice and Alex Balde made Barcelona’s gala and 15th Supercopa title perfect.
After an early 0-1 deficit thanks to a world-class goal from Kylian Mbappé in the fifth minute, Flick’s team initially got going without European soccer champion Dani Olmo, who was eligible to play again. Led by super talent Yamal, the Catalans turned the game around – and how!
With a great goal when he beat Real goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois from 16 meters, Yamal started the hunt for goals in the 22nd minute. Robert Lewandowski (36′) gave Barça the lead with a penalty, before Raphinha (39′) increased the lead with a header from eleven meters after a dream pass from Jules Koundé. But that’s not enough. Because, among other things, Mbappé was treated on the pitch and his left ankle was bandaged after a challenge, there was a long added time – to the delight of the Barcelona fans. Because Balde (45th + 10) scored after a picture-perfect counterattack to make it 4-1 before the break.
:“Wirtz and Musiala show what distinguished the great players”
Jorge Valdano, Argentine world champion and football philosopher, talks about the two German dribblers, the value of the street for training – and the indomitable element of genius on the pitch.
Club president Joan Laporta, sitting in an armchair in the VIP box, was also enthusiastic – in contrast to his Real counterpart Florentino Pérez. In the days before the game, Laporta was the main focus as he tried to get the right to play for Olmo and his teammate Pau Víctor. The league and the association had refused them both. The reason was the financial situation of the heavily indebted Catalans and the economic conditions in Spain. Ultimately, through a ruling by the Supreme Sports Council, both were registered in time, albeit provisionally, before the final.
Flick initially left Olmo on the bench after the break. His team continued to work their magic anyway. Again it was the equally outstanding Raphinha (48th) who duped the Real defense around Germany international Antonio Rüdiger. As if there wasn’t enough spectacle, Barcelona goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny was sent off with a red card after an emergency stop on Mbappé. Flick brought Olmo, who shortly afterwards lay on the grass with his face contorted in pain after a duel. Substitute keeper Iñaki Peña moved into goal – the actual regular keeper, Germany’s national goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen, is still missing due to his serious knee injury.
Peña had his fingers on Rodrygo’s subsequent free kick, but he couldn’t save it: 2:5 from Real’s point of view after 61 minutes. Coach Carlo Ancelotti brought in former world footballer Luka Modric, but even he couldn’t avert the disgrace against a Barcelona that sometimes played like a frenzy.
#Barcelona #triumphs #Real #Madrid #Spanish #Supercopa #Saudi #Arabia
