Raphinha scored twice as Barcelona beat Real Madrid 3-2 in an enthralling Clásico on Sunday to retain the Supercopa de España in Saudi Arabia.
The Brazilian struck the winner in the 73rd minute as Barça celebrated a third successive final victory over Madrid under Hansi Flick, following last season’s Supercopa and Copa del Rey successes.
Heading into the final 20 minutes, the tie had been delicately poised following a wild first half, which yielded three stoppage-time goals after Raphinha’s opener in the 36th minute.
First, Vinícius Júnior leveled, then Robert Lewandowski nudged Barça back ahead and there was still time for Gonzalo García to restore parity before halftime.
Madrid brought on Kylian Mbappé, back from a knee injury, in the second half, but it was Raphinha who proved the hero as Madrid’s Álvaro Carreras and Raúl Asencio spurned great late chances to take the game to a penalty shootout after Frenkie de Jong had been sent off.
Barça can now look back on the LaLiga defeat to Madrid in October as a blip. After winning all four Clásicos last year, there was the slight suggestion earlier this season that the tide could be turning after Xabi Alonso’s side earned a 2-1 victory at the Santiago Bernabéu.
For that reason, Barça’s players were desperate to reassert their dominance over their biggest rivals and they will feel they did that in Jeddah on Sunday.
For large parts of the game, they completely controlled proceedings, accumulating almost 70% of the possession by full time. They deserved their lead when Raphinha netted, with Madrid’s two equalizers feeling like sucker punches.
That’s not to say Madrid didn’t also create chances on the counter. Both teams ended with eight shots on target, but the xG totals paint a better picture of who created the best openings, with Barça’s 2.6 considerably more than Madrid’s 1.38.
That is now four trophies Barça have won under Flick. The German coach spoke this past week about the Supercopa last season, providing the platform for them to go on and win LaLiga and the Copa del Rey.
With a four-point lead at the top of the league, more silverware looks likely, although it’s the UEFA Champions League that this set of players is so desperate to get their hands on.