Jeddah: Raphinha was FC Barcelona’s hero as his side retained the Spanish Super Cup with a 3-2 win over Real Madrid.
The Brazilian scored his side’s first goal and then netted the winner in the second half with a touch of fortune to decide a thrilling game where Madrid looked for an equalizer until the final moments.
Madrid started with Kylian Mbappe in the bench and Dean Huijsen in for Antonio Rudiger in defense, with coach Xabi Alonso adopting a pragmatic policy of getting his side to defend deep and look to hit Barcelona on the break, reports Xinhua.
With Barcelona careful not to give the ball away to allow Madrid the chance to break, the first half hour was a cautious affair, although both Vinicius – who had an excellent game after having been criticized on Thursday – and Gonzalo Garcia had chances to put Madrid ahead, only for both to hit weak shots at Joan Garcia in the Barcelona goal.
Barcelona gradually pushed Madrid further back, with Fermin Lopez denied by Thibaut Courtois before Raphinha fired wide after 35 minutes when put though by Lamine Yamal.
A minute later the Brazilian drilled Barca ahead with a low shot, and with Yamal springing to life, Barca could have killed the game with Courtois denying Fermin again and Yamal going close with a near-post effort.
Barca’s profligacy was punished when Vinicius levelled for Madrid in first-half injury time, the Brazilian collecting the ball on the halfway line, beating Jules Kounde for pace, cutting past Pau Cubarsi and firing past Garcia.
Barcelona were back in front just a minute later, when Robert Lewandowski fired home a smart finish after being put through by the excellent Pedri, with Madrid players complaining that the halftime whistle should have been blown.
Those same players were celebrating two minutes later when the referee continued to play on for another two minutes and Garcia stabbed home after Huijsen’s header had bounced back off the bar following a corner.
The second half began with further chances for Vinicius and Rodrygo, which were both saved by Garcia, but Raphinha decided the game in the 73rd minute when he turned on the edge of the area and his shot took enough of a deflection off Raul
Asencio to wrong-foot Courtois.
There was still drama as Madrid went in search of an equalizer, and Barcelona ended with 10 men after Frenkie de Jong was sent off for a high challenge on Mbappe, who came on for the closing minutes.
With Barca sitting deep in injury time, both Alvaro Carreras and Aurelien Tchouameni had chances to level for Madrid, but their efforts went straight at Garcia and Barcelona were finally able to celebrate a hard-won but deserved title.
(IANS)
