Raphinha aggravates Hansi Flick's Barça legend

In a final that was closer than expected, fought until the very last breath, Hansi Flick's Barça reminded Real Madrid who's boss (3-2). The Blaugrana have played six Clásicos since the German coach took over, winning five. The most recent was a Spanish Super Cup final in which the Catalans were superior to a rival that managed to survive and fight until the end thanks to the unwavering belief of Vinícius, who couldn't just play his best minutes of the season. Led by Raphinha's leadership, Pedri's symphony of play, and Lamine Yamal's flair, Barça avenged their unfortunate league Clásico defeat and secured their fourth title of the Flick era in their third consecutive final victory against their eternal rivals. Not even Munuera Montero's questionable refereeing could stop a Barça side that has started 2026 determined to achieve anything.

Raphinha, who completed a brace in the 73rd minute, unlocked a final that was tied in the closing minutes. Shortly before Kylian Mbappé came on, a fortunate goal from the Brazilian (his shot from the edge of the box was deflected by Asencio) made it 3-2 at the King Abdullah Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, which continues to be the destination for European football thanks to a downpour. Raphinha's goal was a just reward and ultimately worth its weight in gold, because Real Madrid, who finished the game with a man advantage after Frenkie de Jong's highly dubious sending-off in stoppage time, had two clear chances in the final minutes, both of which were saved by Joan, first by Carreras and then by Asencio.

Barça celebrates another final victory against Real Madrid, who managed to survive and put up a fight. The story of the final began to unfold after the first half-hour of play. The first 30 minutes of the match had been marked by mutual respect, with the occasional isolated attack from Madrid. The Catalans started the match dominantly, but Xabi Alonso's gamble on three center-backs seemed to pay off, as Barça struggled to create clear-cut chances beyond a powerful but central shot from Raphinha, which Courtois dealt with without too much trouble.

A frantic end to the first half

The frenzy began after the first-half hydration break. Yes, a hydration break in a Barça-Madrid match on January 11th. Modern football, enslaved by money and a business bubble that must one day burst, dictates that a Spanish Super Cup final be played in Saudi Arabia, with temperatures exceeding 20 degrees Celsius and humidity that had the players sweating profusely. Once that brief respite for hydration in the first half was over, with Flick and Alonso making some quick adjustments, the game accelerated at both ends.

Real Madrid were the first to threaten, as a lapse in concentration from Balde resulted in a long pass to Gonzalo, who, intimidated by Cubarsí, rushed his shot and fired straight at Joan. This action was yet another symptom that, despite ceding possession to a superior Barça, Madrid needed very little to create danger. Barça responded with an initial shot from Fermín that went high and a one-on-one chance for Raphinha against Courtois, which he failed to finish after a delightful pass from Lamine Yamal. In three minutes, there had been as many chances as in the first half-hour of play. Raphinha, after only a few seconds, redeemed himself for his miss with a trademark goal. With a pass from Fermín, and after a mistake by Rodrygo that gifted the ball to Barcelona when his team was pushing forward, the Brazilian overcame a more difficult situation than in the previous play to dribble, control the ball, and unleash a powerful, angled shot that was impossible even for one of the best goalkeepers in the world like Courto.

The goal seemed to confirm the expected script: Barcelona were in much better form going into the final and were the favorites. But Real Madrid switched into survival mode, led by Vinícius, who played his best game of the season. A brilliant individual effort from the Brazilian saw him beat three opponents, including Koundé, and then slot the ball past Joan. The pace quickened so much in such a short span of minutes that there were two more goals. A sublime finish from Lewandowski, who lost control of the ball slightly, but resolved it with a cinematic chip that beat Courtois and hit the post before nestling in the net.

It seemed this would be the final score of the first half, as added time had already expired, but despite Barcelona's protests that it was over time, Real Madrid earned a corner kick that ended with Gonzalo equalizing just before halftime. After the break, Raphinha broke the deadlock in a match that was hard-fought until the final whistle. Barça are Super Cup champions again. Barça beat Real Madrid again.