The Frenchman opened the scoring for Madrid. EFE – Alberto Estevez
FC Barcelona won the Spanish Super Cup by crushing Real Madrid 5-2, with a sublime goal from young prodigy Lamine Yamal on Sunday in Jeddah.
Behind the game in the fifth minute after a goal from Kylian Mbappé, FC Barcelona once again beat Real Madrid(5-2) on Sunday to win its 15th Spanish Super Cup at the end of a match with a crazy scenario in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Already humiliated in October on its home turf at the Santiago Bernabeu (4-0), Real Madrid, still thirsty for titles, wanted revenge. He finally suffered a new shipwreck and received a real lesson from his great rival, collectively superior and led by his irresistible attacking trio Raphinha-Lewandowski-Lamine Yamal.
Down 5-1 at the start of the second half, Carlo Ancelotti's men, who were aiming for a third title at mid-season, were unable to ignite the match and make up the deficit after the exclusion of Barcelona goalkeeper Szczesny followed by the reduction of the score on a free kick by Brazilian Rodrygo (60th, 5-2).
The ordeal of the Madrid defense
Despite a doubly decisive Kylian Mbappé, first the first scorer of the match (5th) then at the origin of the exclusion of the Polish goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny, who came out of retirement to replace Marc André ter Stegen (57th) and was preferred to Inaki Pena, the Madrid club ultimately only existed in fits and starts and through the talent of its stars.
And it is often, too often, appeared totally overwhelmed defensively in the face of the Catalan collective strength and the flashes of genius of its attackers, like the French international Aurélien Tchouaméni, in great difficulty at the central defender position to compensate for the absence of Eder Militao.
This top-of-the-table clash between the giants of Spanish football, two of the most-followed clubs on the planet, started at a crazy pace and offered a great spectacle to the Saudi public for almost 70 minutes, with Belgian goalkeeper Courtois initially managing to repel early attempts by Lamine Yamal (2nd) and Raphinha (4th) to allow Kylian Mbappé to open the scoring with a lightning counter (5th, 1-0) and score his first goal in a Clasico.
Exceptional Barcelona attack line
Spanish prodigy Lamine Yamal, launched by Robert Lewandowski on his left foot, responded by beating Courtois at the end of a classy rush (22nd, 1-1), before the match ended is totally going crazy.
Collectively superior with almost 70% possession after half an hour of play, Barça ended up materialising their domination by scoring three goals in ten minutes, first on a cold-blooded penalty from Lewandowski (36th, 2-1) for a foul by Camavinga on Gavi, then a header from Raphinha to cut off a tight thirty-metre cross from Jules Koundé (39th, 3-1) and a perfect counter-attack concluded by Alejandro Balde (45th+10, 4-1).
The game, which could have taken a different turn after the break when Rodrygo's volley crashed against Szczesny's post (47th), then got going again under the impetus of Raphinha, who scored twice in a solo performance to punish an unanswered Madrid defence (48th, 5-1).
Mbappé tried everything
Launched into the deep by a Jude Bellingham well muzzled by the Barcelona midfielders, Kylian Mbappé sounded the revolt, caused the exclusion of the Polish goalkeeper (57th), and tried everything to bring his team back to an improbable comeback after Rodrygo reduced the score (60th, 5-2).
But even a Mbappé with his back again was not enough against the new collective demonstration of Hansi Flick's men, whose first trophy this is with the Catalan club. A turning point, perhaps, in Barça's season, very close to becoming great again.