Barcelona once again proved they have the upper hand over their fiercest rivals, edging Real Madrid 3–2 in a pulsating Spanish Super Cup final to claim back-to-back titles in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
The victory marked Barcelona’s 16th Spanish Super Cup triumph and confirmed Hansi Flick’s growing dominance in the Clásico, having now beaten Los Blancos in successive finals. It is the club’s first consecutive Super Cup success since 2011, underlining a renewed winning mentality in the Catalan camp.
Brazilian forward Raphinha was the standout figure on the night, scoring twice and delivering the decisive moment in the 73rd minute, when his floated effort evaded everyone and nestled into the net to swing the contest Barcelona’s way.
He had earlier opened the scoring in the 36th minute, drilling a precise low finish into the bottom corner to give Barça control. However, the first half descended into chaos during stoppage time.
Real Madrid struck back through Vinícius Júnior, who ended a 17-game goal drought with a brilliant solo effort, nutmegging Jules Koundé before sliding the ball past Joan García. Barcelona responded almost immediately, with Robert Lewandowski clipping a composed finish off the post to restore their lead just before the break.
The drama continued early in the second half. Madrid hit back again when Gonzalo García pounced on a loose ball after Dean Huijsen’s header rattled the crossbar, levelling the score at 2–2. With the game finely balanced, Raphinha delivered the winner, silencing the Madrid supporters and tipping the final decisively in Barcelona’s favour.
Late controversy followed as Frenkie de Jong was shown a straight red card in stoppage time for a reckless challenge on Kylian Mbappé, who had only just returned from a knee injury. Despite being reduced to ten men, Barcelona survived a tense finale.
Marcus Rashford missed a clear chance for Madrid, while Álvaro Carreras and Raúl Asencio both tested Joan García, but the Barcelona goalkeeper stood firm.
For Barcelona, the victory represents more than just silverware. It reinforces their resurgence under Flick and signals a psychological edge over Real Madrid as the season progresses. For Los Blancos, the defeat will sting, especially after coming so close in a contest packed with momentum swings.
On a night befitting the Clásico’s global stature, Barcelona held their nerve, delivered when it mattered most, and once again lifted the Spanish Super Cup.
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