El Clásico Thriller: Barcelona Retain the Supercopa in 5-Goal Jeddah Epic!

The King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah bore witness to a chaotic, breathtaking, and ultimately historic El Clásico on Sunday night. FC Barcelona secured their 16th Spanish Super Cup title, defeating Real Madrid 3-2 in a final defined by a "manic" stoppage-time spell and a heroic performance by tournament MVP Raphinha.

Under Hansi Flick, the Blaugrana showcased a masterclass in tactical resilience, while Xabi Alonso’s Madrid suffered their third consecutive final loss to their bitter rivals.

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🏟️ Match Overview: The Stats

Barcelona entered as defending champions and left as kings of the competition once again, extending their record as the most successful club in Supercopa history.

Detail	Match Info
Final Score	Barcelona 3-2 Real Madrid
Date	January 11, 2026
MVP	Raphinha (Barcelona)
Attendance	60,326
Possession	Barça 58%

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⚡ A Tale of Two Halves

1. The "Manic" First Half Stoppage Time

While Barcelona dominated possession early (peaking at 76%), the game exploded after Raphinha opened the scoring in the 36th minute. What followed in stoppage time was seven minutes of pure footballing madness:

• 45+2': Vinícius Júnior ended a 16-game goal drought, dancing past Jules Koundé and Pau Cubarsí to level it at 1-1.

• 45+4': Straight from the restart, Pedri threaded a needle to Robert Lewandowski, who dinked a sublime finish over Courtois.

• 45+7': Madrid refused to blink. After a Dean Huijsen header hit the bar, Gonzalo García scrambled the rebound home to make it 2-2.

2. Raphinha’s Decisive Strike

The second half was a grittier, more fractious affair. The decisive moment arrived in the 73rd minute. Raphinha found space at the edge of the box; his low effort took a wicked deflection off Madrid’s Raúl Asencio, wrong-footing Thibaut Courtois to find the net. It was Raphinha’s second of the night and his fourth of the tournament—a new Supercopa record.

3. High Drama in the Final Minutes

Desperate for an equalizer, Alonso brought on a returning Kylian Mbappé. The tension reached a breaking point in the 91st minute when Frenkie de Jong was shown a straight red card for a "professional foul" on the Frenchman. Down to 10 men, Barça relied on goalkeeper Joan García, who produced a stunning double-save in the dying seconds to deny Álvaro Carreras and Asencio.

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🏆 Records and Takeaways

• 16 Titles: Barcelona extends its lead as the most successful club in the competition.

• Back-to-Back: They are the first team in a decade to win consecutive Supercopa trophies.

• Flick's Dominance: Hansi Flick has now led Barça to five wins in their last six meetings with Real Madrid.

• Raphinha’s Rise: With 4 goals, the Brazilian has become the undisputed talisman of Flick’s system.

"Losing against your eternal rival is never pleasant, but it was a very even game. We fought until the end." — Xabi Alonso, Real Madrid Manager

🔜 What’s Next?

With the first silverware of the 2025-26 season secured, Barcelona returns to Spain to protect their 4-point lead in La Liga. Meanwhile, Xabi Alonso faces heavy scrutiny as Real Madrid shifts their focus to the Copa del Rey.

Would you like me to analyze the tactical changes Hansi Flick made during the second half or provide a deeper look at Raphinha’s record-breaking tournament stats?