Barça ecstasy as they lift the Cup to Madrid's faces

Special envoy to SevilleHe can pinch himself, he won't wake up. It's not a dream. Barça gave its fans the most epic final by defeating Real Madrid in extra time, which magnified Hansi Flick's stature, guaranteed Kounde's eternal glory with his saving goal, and left Madrid wounded, lost in wars against imaginary enemies, like Don Quixote. It will be hard to forget this 32nd Copa del Rey for a team that always wanted to play football, even though it suffered greatly in a second half in which it seemed Ancelotti would get his way. That wasn't the case. In just a few months, this Barça has already won two titles in two finals against Madrid, first by scoring goals and now with a script not suitable for the faint of heart, epic. The more you enjoy it, the more your opponent hurts.

The final at La Cartuja wasn't just another Cup final. And everyone knew it. It could be confirmation that Flick is laying the foundations for a team that can make history. It was about lifting the trophy, but also about how to win. And everyone saw what that Barça is made of. It's joy, artistry, and ambition, but it also knows how to suffer. But if that Barça has hunger, Madrid had a rage that kept it alive. It wasn't a piece of cake, winning the final that people like Iñigo Martínez, who finally lifted the title that always eluded him on Basque soil, had dreamed of. Or Szczesny, who could have hardly imagined a few months ago that fate had such a surprise in store for him. Life can be fantastic sometimes. What a story, this one from the Polish goalkeeper.

Laporta and Flick have managed to boost the self-esteem of Barça fans. The connection between fans and team was total in Seville. In fact, the most veteran Barça fans watched with concern as the youngsters saw themselves already champions before the final even started. It's normal, given that the last Copa del Rey final win against Real Madrid was in 1990... But this team has arrived to rewrite history, and for the third time this season, they defeated Ancelotti's side. It's Real Madrid who should be afraid of Barça; times change, and the wind is blowing in favor of the Catalans.

Flick came out with the expected starting lineup. The only change was Lamine with a new, dyed-blond hairstyle, a sign of young players. Dani Olmo was in the starting lineup, and Gerard Martín was on the touchline, thrilling his four grandparents, who were present on the pitch. Madrid, with Mbappé on the bench, limited themselves to defending and trying to counterattack, hoping to connect with Vini and Rodrygo. A fearful Madrid side lost Mendy to injury in the 10th minute, having forced his place in the starting lineup. Madrid held their own but played with fire, until it burned out. In an attempted counterattack, they ran into a wall made of Girona wood. Cubarsí cut the ball out, which ended up at Lamine's feet, and the youngster from Rocafonda knew how to wait for Pedri, who beat Courtois with a shot into the top corner. Cubarsí, Lamine, and Pedri, the three youngsters around whom the project for the next decade should revolve, put a far superior Barça side ahead.

The goal spurred Madrid on. Ancelotti had to burn his bridges and brought Mbappé on at halftime. Szczesny began to have too much to do, as Madrid, wounded, was starting to look scary. Real Madrid took risks in defense, as they had little to lose. And so they leveled the final while their fans demanded a red card for every Barça foul, convinced that the Federation was against them. One of the actions they protested was a foul by De Jong on Mbappé. It wasn't a red card, but it was a foul. And the Frenchman had his moment of redemption, beating Szczesny with a crisp shot. But the worst was yet to come, as from a corner, Tchouaméni was left alone enough to head in Real Madrid's second goal. Real Madrid, like the monsters in a horror story, rose from the dead to scare a Barça side that gave their all. They had just a few minutes to equalize, and they managed to do so thanks to a mistake by Cortouis, who was caught short on a free kick and allowed Ferran Torres to equalize five minutes from time, when all seemed lost. It should have been him, the Valencian, who has lived and shone the most in this Cup.

But the final wasn't over. And in the final minute, De Burgos Bengoetxea called a penalty on Raphinha by Asencio that seemed pretty clear. And right in the final, when Madrid had been putting the referees under pressure, he was called to review the action on the VAR screen and pardoned Madrid. Neither that penalty was called, nor one on Cubarsí in the first half, nor another on Ferran. The Barça fans looked angrily towards the stands, looking for Florentino.

Not calling the penalty could have decided the final if it weren't for the fact that this Barça doesn't scare easily. Neither Mbappé, nor Madrid, nor VAR, nor monsters: in extra time, when everything seemed like Russian roulette that could go either way, Jules Kounde, the man who always plays, invented a goal that makes him eternal with five minutes left to go, provoking Barça ecstasy right under Floren's mustache. When some players could no longer say a word, the Frenchman was quicker than Brahim and unleashed an unstoppable shot. As if all the Barça fans had given him the strength to shoot and make Madrid lose their temper. In the five minutes remaining, Rüdiger saw red while protesting undignifiedly on the bench. It was difficult and painful, but it was more enjoyable. This Barça's adventure continues, now with a cup final win that will be remembered for years and years to come.