Real Madrid's Eduardo Camavinga in action with FC Barcelona's Raphinha. Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, January 12, 2025 REUTERS/Pedro Nunes
JEDDAH (Reuters) -Barcelona came from an early goal down to beat Real Madrid 5-2 in the Spanish Super Cup final on Sunday, scoring four goals in a dominant first half and surviving having their goalkeeper sent off to clinch a record-extending 15th trophy.
Lamine Yamal, Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha and Alejandro Balde were all on target before halftime, after French forward Kylian Mbappe put Real in front in the fifth minute. Raphinha grabbed another in the second half while Rodrygo scored for Real.
Barcelona put in a clinical display to lift their first trophy in more than a year, having no silverware to show for last season.
"A goal for big clubs is always to win titles, that's why we work hard. But now we have to show it in the next games," Hansi Flick told a press conference after winning his first trophy as Barca coach.
"Real made many mistakes, and we knew how to take advantage of them to control the match."
Barca prevented Real from winning their third title of the campaign, after they won the European Super Cup against Atalanta and beat Mexico's Pachuca to the Intercontinental Cup last month.
"In the first half we didn't play football, we hit long balls and that wasn't the idea," Real coach Carlo Ancelotti said.
"I told the players that they can lose games, but not in the way we played in the first half."
QUICK TURNAROUND
Mbappe earned an early advantage for the Spanish champions, finishing a solo run from around the halfway line with a shot inside the far post.
But what looked like a dream start quickly turned into a nightmare for Ancelotti's men when Yamal levelled for Barca in the 22nd minute. Striker Lewandowski gave them the lead 14 minutes later from a penalty awarded for Eduardo Camavinga's foul on Gavi.
Raphinha increased the advantage with a stunning header from a brilliant long cross by Jules Kounde in the 39th minute, and left back Balde added a fourth for Barca deep into stoppage time after nine minutes were added to the first half.
Yamal released Raphinha with a precise pass following Real's miserable corner kick, before the Brazil forward left the ball to Balde who scored with a simple finish.
Real started the second half with Rodrygo hitting the bar, sparking hopes of the hectic clash taking another turn.
But Raphinha quelled any sniff of a comeback when he made it 5-1 three minutes after the break, having slalomed past the Real defence.
Barca were left with 10 men when goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny was sent off for fouling Mbappe in the 56th minute and Rodrygo beat substitute keeper Inaki Pena from the resulting free kick.
But Real, who hold a five-point advantage over Barca in LaLiga after 19 games, had no shots on goal after the penalty until Mbappe's effort was denied by Pena in stoppage time.
Barcelona also lost defender Inigo Martinez before the half-hour mark through injury, with Ronald Araujo stepping in.
Barcelona and Real met in the competition's final for third consecutive time, with Ancelotti's side prevailing last year while Barca lifted the trophy in 2023.
Barcelona booked their spot in the final by winning 2-0 against current Spanish Cup holders Athletic Bilbao in the semi-finals before Real beat last year's Copa del Rey finalists Mallorca 3-0.
(Reporting by Anita Kobylinska in Gdansk; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
