By Martin Graham
Barcelona overcome Real Madrid in a vibrant contest in Jeddah to lift the Spanish Super Cup for the second consecutive year, overcoming a five-goal final that varied repeatedly before a tense conclusion.
The triumph represented the 16th Super Cup success in the club’s history and confirmed Hansi Flick’s continued dominance in the finals, having guided his side past the same rivals in last season’s showpiece.
A decisive moment came in the 73rd minute when Raphinha’s The arcing effort found its way, settling a match that had been filled with momentum swings and controversy.
The chaos of the first half sets the tone
The opening period turned into a whirlwind by the end, with three goals coming in stoppage time to ensure neither team dominated at the interval.
Raphinha struck first in the 36th minute, sending his effort low into the corner to give Barcelona the lead.
Real responded quickly in added time as Vinicius Jr. produced a strong solo run, sliding the ball past the keeper to end a long scoring drought dating back to early October 2025.
moments later, Robert Lewandowski restored the Catalan lead by guiding his shot off the post, only for Gonzalo Garcia to equalize again after a crowd riot in the penalty area that included a header crashing against the crossbar. The Barcelona bench protested when the whistle blew amid the chaos.
Second half drama and late resistance
After the restart, Barcelona went ahead again, before both sides traded attacks in an increasingly heated atmosphere.
Raphinha’s second goal of the night, a shot from the hoop midway through the half, was decisive.
Tensions rose further in stoppage time when Frenkie de Jong was sent off for a reckless challenge on Kylian Mbappéwho had recently returned from a knee problem and came off the bench.
Chances still came at each end as the clock wound down, but Barcelona survived the scares and held firm to protect their slim lead until the final whistle.
Flick’s impeccable record and Madrid’s questions
The win extended Barcelona’s winning streak to ten games, with their last setback coming in November against Chelsea in European competition.
They have also avoided defeat against domestic rivals since the end of October, opening up a four-point cushion over Real Madrid at the top of La Liga.
All of Flick’s trophies with the club have been secured at Real’s expense, including two Super Cups and a Copa del Rey, while the German manager remains unbeaten in eight finals in his managerial career.
For Real, the defeat interrupts a string of recent positive results and may reignite scrutiny over Xabi Alonso’s position, despite a rebound that had briefly eased doubts.
