FC Barcelona beat Real Madrid to lift Spanish Super Cup

FC Barcelona won the Spanish Super Cup on Sunday night, defeating Real Madrid 3-2 in a frenetic final at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

The Catalan club became the first team in history to win the trophy in two consecutive seasons and to defeat Real Madrid in three straight finals.

After a slow opening half, with Madrid sitting deep and few clear chances, the match burst into life toward the end of the first period.

Raphinha opened the scoring in the 36th minute with a trademark strike from the Brazilian. 

Vinícius Júnior equalised with a brilliant goal two minutes into stoppage time, only for Robert Lewandowski to restore Barcelona's lead two minutes later.

Gonzalo then struck back for Madrid moments after that, meaning three goals were scored in the final six minutes of the first half.

The second half followed a similar pattern: Real Madrid remained compact at the back while Barcelona dominated possession, holding close to 80% of the ball as they pushed for a winner.

That decisive goal finally arrived in the 73rd minute, once again from Raphinha, who was the standout player of the Super Cup. The Brazilian scored twice in the semi-final and twice again in the final.

The introduction of Kylian Mbappé shortly afterwards, having missed the semi-final and travelled to Jeddah for the final after recovering from injury, gave Madrid renewed attacking threat, but despite several late chances, they were unable to find another equaliser.

Barcelona's memorable night was capped by a touching moment, as Ronald Araújo, playing his first match after returning from a break related to mental health, was given the honour of lifting the trophy.

While often considered the least significant trophy of the season, the Spanish Super Cup can provide a major psychological boost. Historically, the Super Cup winner has frequently gone on to claim the La Liga title.

The competition features the La Liga champions and runners-up from the previous season, along with the two Copa del Rey finalists.

Barcelona reached the final after a record-breaking 5-0 victory over Athletic Club in the semi-final, becoming the first team in the tournament’s history to score four goals in the first half of a semi-final.

Real Madrid booked their place in the final by defeating city rivals Atlético de Madrid 2-1.