In the decisive match of the Spanish Super Cup, held at the "King Abdullah Sports City" stadium, "Barcelona" once again managed to defeat their arch-rival - "Real". The final score of the match was 3:2.
The star of the match was Rafinha, who scored two goals, including the decisive one, which he netted in the 73rd minute. Although his shot was not perfect, the ball, after deflecting off defender Raúl Asensio, confused goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and ultimately ended up in the net.
The first half was a real show: in stoppage time, both teams scored three goals. In the 36th minute, Rafinha opened the scoring, going one-on-one with the goalkeeper. However, before the break, "Real" managed to equalize thanks to Vinícius Júnior, who skillfully dribbled past several defenders, ending his goal drought that had lasted 16 matches.
Just two minutes later, "Barcelona" took the lead again with a goal from Robert Lewandowski, but "Real" equalized once more before halftime - Gonzalo García found the net.
In the second half, the game became more tense, and the decisive moment came with Rafinha's goal. In the 76th minute, Kylian Mbappé appeared on the field, having missed the semifinal due to knee issues, but his efforts could not save the team from defeat.
In added time of the second half, Frenkie de Jong was sent off, but "Barcelona" managed to hold on to their advantage until the final whistle.
On their way to the final, "Barcelona" crushed "Athletic" Bilbao with a score of 5:0, while "Real" defeated "Atlético" 2:1 in the semifinals.
Rafael Lusan, president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation, announced that the final of the Spanish Super Cup in 2027 will take place either in Kuwait or Qatar, as Saudi Arabia will host the Asian Cup in 2027. The return of the tournament to Saudi Arabia is expected in 2028, where it will remain at least until 2030.
Meanwhile, in the Spanish championship, there were more matches for teams not participating in the Super Cup: "Espanyol" drew with "Levante" (1:1), while "Rayo Vallecano" defeated "Mallorca" (2:1).
After 19 rounds of La Liga, "Barcelona" occupies the top spot in the table, leading "Real" by four points.
