Barcelona hammered rivals Actual Madrid 5-2 in a wild Spanish Tremendous Cup Clasico closing in Saudi Arabia on Sunday to win the primary trophy of the Hansi Flick period.
Kylian Mbappe put Madrid forward, however a dominant Barcelona hit 5 in response earlier than their goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny was despatched off within the second half.
Madrid had been hoping to avenge their 4-0 house defeat by Barcelona in October’s LaLiga Clasico however as an alternative had been left battered and bruised by their archrivals in Jeddah.
After Mbappe’s opener, Lamine Yamal levelled and Robert Lewandowski despatched Barcelona forward from the penalty spot, with Raphinha bagging a brace and Alejandro Balde additionally on the right track.
Rodrygo Goes pulled one again for Madrid with a free-kick however they might not capitalise additional on their numerical benefit in a humiliating defeat for the European champions.
“It’s very nice, it had been a season since we received a trophy. It’s all the time particular and, on high of that, in a Clasico towards Actual Madrid,” Barcelona defender Jules Kounde informed Movistar.
“We had lots of calm and endurance, understanding that if we utilized the plan we’d win.
“I’m very proud and proud of the group… proper after the crimson card, we obtained collectively and stated we had been going to must undergo, sit again, however we had an enormous benefit and this could’t escape us.”
‘Dangerous defending’ value Actual Madrid the sport
Actual Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti stated his group’s poor defending was the principle cause for the heavy defeat.
“We defended badly and that value us the sport – they discovered their targets fairly simply,” Ancelotti informed Movistar.
“We’re unhappy, like all our followers, it’s disappointing, and we don’t have to cover that… we have now to look forwards, there’s nothing else we will do.”
Each coaches opted to take care of the identical lineups they began with within the semifinals.
Yamal issued Madrid an early warning with a curling effort from the best which compelled Thibaut Courtois right into a high quality save.
The Belgian goalkeeper additionally produced a powerful cease to maintain a Raphinha header at bay after the Brazilian evaded Lucas Vazquez with ease.
Regardless of Barcelona’s opening salvo, it was Actual Madrid who took the lead within the fifth minute with Mbappe’s sensible objective on the counterattack.
The French ahead, annoyed quite a few instances by the offside flag within the league defeat by the Catalans, broke unfastened on the midway line after Vinicius received the ball again and, after bursting into the realm, clipped previous Szczesny.
Barcelona bounce again from a objective down
It took a surprising particular person objective from 17-year-old Yamal to degree the scoreline, with the Spanish winger reducing in from the best earlier than stroking house a low end contained in the close to put up in the same model to former Barca nice Lionel Messi, with whom he’s typically in contrast.
Barcelona saved pushing and moved forward via Lewandowski’s penalty after Eduardo Camavinga arrived late and carelessly clattered Gavi.
Raphinha quickly added Barcelona’s third with a header from Kounde’s cross from deep, and so they grabbed their fourth earlier than half-time on the break.
Yamal and Raphinha mixed and the latter slipped in Balde, who slotted previous Courtois.
Barcelona continued in the identical vein after the break and Raphinha netted the fifth with a neat dribble and end after Marc Casado performed him in.
The Catalans had been lowered to 10 males when Mbappe sped in on the different finish, rounding goalkeeper Szczesny, who introduced him down outdoors the realm and after a VAR overview was dismissed.
Rodrygo, who earlier hit the put up, rifled house the free-kick previous Szczesny’s alternative Inaki Pena.
Bellingham and Mbappe depart Actual questions for Madrid
Mbappe brilliantly teed up Jude Bellingham however the England worldwide was denied by an outstanding Kounde problem in stoppage time.
The French ahead additionally got here near scoring once more himself on a high quality particular person show however Pena tipped away his effort.
“He was the most effective [Madrid player],” stated Ancelotti, noting an enchancment after Mbappe’s hit-and-miss begin to life on the membership, following his change from Paris Saint-Germain.
Barcelona introduced on midfielder Dani Olmo for his first look since he was registered to play for the membership on a brief foundation, a controversial situation which overshadowed the semifinals earlier within the week.
Nonetheless, their five-star show provided a number of different speaking factors as Barca received a record-extending fifteenth Spanish Tremendous Cup.
