Barcelona beat rival Real Madrid 5-2 in a wild final of the Spanish Super Cup Classic in Saudi Arabia on Sunday to win the first trophy of the Hansi Flick era.
Kylian Mbappe put Madrid ahead but a dominant Barcelona hit five in reply before their goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesni was sent off in the second half.
Madrid were hoping to avenge their 4-0 defeat at home to Barcelona in October’s LaLiga Clasico but were instead left battered and battered by their older rivals in Jeddah.
After Mbappe’s opener, Lamine Jamal equalized and Robert Lewandowski sent Barcelona ahead from the penalty spot, with Rafinha slotting in and Alejandro Balde also on target.
Rodrigo Goes pulled one back for Madrid from a free-kick, but they could not capitalize on their numerical advantage in a humiliating defeat for the European champions.
“It’s really nice, it’s been a season since we won the trophy.” It’s always special, and on top of that, in a classic against Real Madrid,” Barcelona defender Gilles Conde told Movistar.
“We had a lot of calm and patience, knowing that if we executed the plan we would win.”
“I am very proud and happy with the team… immediately after the red card, we gathered and said that we will have to suffer, to sit back, but we had a big advantage and this cannot escape us.”
“Bad defending” cost Real Madrid the game
Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said that his team’s poor defense was the main reason for the heavy defeat.
“We defended poorly and it cost us the game – they found their goals easily,” Ancelotti told Movistar.
“We’re sad, like all our fans, it’s disappointing, and we don’t have to hide it… we have to look forward, there’s nothing else we can do.
Both coaches decided to keep the same lineups they started with in the semi-finals.
Jamal issued an early warning to Madrid with a curling drive down the right that forced Thibaut Courtois into a save.
The Belgian keeper also made a strong stop to keep out Rafinha’s header after the Brazilian easily eluded Lucas Vazquez.
Despite Barcelona’s opening salvo, Real Madrid took the lead in the fifth minute thanks to Mbappe’s brilliant counterattack goal.
The France striker, repeatedly frustrated by an offside flag in the league defeat to the Catalans, broke free on the halfway line after Vinicius had recovered the ball and, after bursting into the area, slotted past Szczesny.
Barcelona come back from a goal down
It took a stunning individual goal from 17-year-old Jamal to equalise, the Spanish winger cutting in from the right before curling a low finish inside the near post in a similar style to former Barca great Lionel Messi, with whom he is often compared.
Barcelona continued to push and progress through Lewandowski’s penalty after Eduardo Camavinga was caught late and carelessly clattered Gavi.
Rafinha soon added Barcelona’s third with a header from Kounde’s cross from deep, and they grabbed their fourth before half-time on the break.
Yamal and Raphinha combined and the latter fed Balde, who went past Courtois.
Barcelona continued in the same vein after the break and Rafinha scored the fifth goal with a good dribble and finish after being put in by Marc Casado.
The Catalans were reduced to 10 men when Mbappe raced down the other side, rounded goalkeeper Szczesni, who brought him down outside the area and was dismissed after a VAR review.
Rodrigo, who had hit the post earlier, curled a free-kick past Inaki Pena, who had been replaced by Szczesny.
Bellingham and Mbappe leave questions to Real for Madrid
Mbappe brilliantly played past Jude Bellingham, but the England international was denied by an excellent challenge from Kounde in stoppage time.
The French forward also came close to scoring again with some good individual play, but his effort was denied by Pena.
“He was the best (Madrid player),” Ancelotti said, noting the improvement after Mbappe’s hit-and-miss style began to live at the club, following his move from Paris Saint-Germain.
Barcelona brought in midfielder Dani Olmo for his first appearance since being registered to play for the club on a temporary basis, a controversial issue that overshadowed the semi-final earlier this week.
However, their five-star display offered a host of other talking points as Barca won a record 15th Spanish Super Cup.
