Barcelona beat Real Madrid 3–2 to win the Spanish Super Cup: Raphinha’s brace and criticism of Xabi Alonso

Barcelona claimed the Spanish Super Cup after defeating Real Madrid 3–2 in a dramatic and intense El Clásico. The hero of the final was Raphinha, who scored twice to secure the trophy for the Catalans. Meanwhile, the defeat sparked a wave of criticism towards Real Madrid head coach Xabi Alonso, who was blamed for several serious tactical mistakes.

Hans-Dieter Flick’s side lifted the trophy after a truly multi-layered match. During the opening half hour, Barcelona controlled possession and initiative but lacked sharpness in attack. After the cooling break, the Catalans significantly increased the tempo, and Real Madrid’s defense began to struggle. Raphinha first missed a great chance, but soon after opened the scoring by capitalizing on the opponents’ defensive confusion.

Barcelona dominated the game, while Real Madrid, set up in an excessively deep defensive block, looked constrained. Jude Bellingham was almost completely taken out of the match. Nevertheless, individual brilliance helped the Madrid side equalize: Vinícius Júnior produced a stunning solo run and scored one of the most beautiful goals of first-half stoppage time. Barcelona responded immediately, as Robert Lewandowski calmly finished after a pass from Pedri. However, right at the end of the half, Gonzalo García restored parity once again — 2–2.

After the break, Real Madrid looked more active: Bellingham joined the attacks more frequently, and Vinícius improved his connection with Rodrygo. Still, it was Barcelona who acted more pragmatically and took the lead again, with Raphinha scoring his second and decisive goal. Kylian Mbappé came on, but it was clear he was far from peak condition. Xabi Alonso’s decision to substitute Vinícius late in the match also caused confusion.

An additional setback for Barcelona was the red card shown to Frenkie de Jong for a rough foul on Mbappé. Despite having a numerical advantage, Real Madrid failed to capitalize on their chances and missed at least two clear opportunities to equalize. The final whistle confirmed Barcelona’s victory.

For Hans-Dieter Flick, this trophy once again underlined his exceptional record in finals — he has now won all eight finals with Bayern Munich and Barcelona. Real Madrid, meanwhile, continue to struggle with adapting to Xabi Alonso’s ideas, and the coach’s future at the club is now increasingly under scrutiny.