First Title for Flick: Barcelona Dismantles Real in Supercopa Final

A football match like fireworks: On Sunday evening, FC Barcelona delivered a dominant performance to claim the Supercopa title, marking the first trophy under Hansi Flick. They also decisively won their second competitive Clásico of the season. However, the match didn't start well for the Catalans.

As in the semifinal victory against Bilbao (2-0), Hansi Flick fielded Szczesny, brought out of retirement, in goal. Dani Olmo and Pau Víctor started on the bench after a lengthy registration saga. Real Madrid's coach, Carlo Ancelotti, who had guided his team to a 3-0 semifinal win over Mallorca, made no surprises in his lineup. The 65-year-old veteran relied on Camavinga in midfield, with Tchouaméni and Rüdiger forming the central defense.

Mbappé Scores but Requires Treatment
In Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah, before more than 60,000 passionate fans, Barcelona had the better start. Lamine Yamal (2') and Raphinha (5') were denied by an outstanding Courtois. Real's response was swift: a lightning-fast counterattack after Raphinha's missed opportunity saw Mbappé convert a Vinícius Júnior assist to make it 1-0 for Madrid (5').

Mbappé, however, soon required treatment for his left ankle and had a bandage applied shortly after. A peculiar scene unfolded during his treatment: Real’s medical staff attempted to tend to him on the pitch, but Raphinha grabbed their bag and placed it on the sidelines. This prompted referee Jesús Gil Manzano to have Mbappé temporarily leave the field for further care (17').

Real Falls Apart Before Halftime
Barcelona’s intent was evident, and they were rewarded for their efforts and dominance in possession after 22 minutes. Lewandowski passed the ball past Rüdiger into Lamine Yamal’s path, who cut inside and fired a low shot into the bottom right corner, leaving Courtois no chance – 1-1.

The match fully turned after just over half an hour. Camavinga fouled Gavi in the box, and after a VAR review, a penalty was awarded. Lewandowski converted confidently to make it 2-1 (36'). Three minutes later, Raphinha added to the tally, heading in a pinpoint cross from Koundé to make it 3-1 (39').

Real was now offensively absent, while Barcelona dominated. The Blaugrana added a fourth goal before halftime during extended stoppage time. After a poorly executed Madrid corner, Barcelona launched a blistering counterattack, with Balde slotting home from close range to make it 4-1 (45'+10).

Second Half Action – Red Card for Szczesny
Those expecting a slower second half were mistaken. Just three minutes in, Rodrygo struck the crossbar (48'). While Real lamented the missed chance, Barcelona struck again. Raphinha broke away, evaded Tchouaméni, and calmly scored to make it 5-1 (48').

Minutes later, a similar situation unfolded on the opposite side. Szczesny charged out to challenge Mbappé but fouled him outside the box. The VAR intervened, resulting in a red card for Szczesny (58'). Briefly, it seemed the match could regain some tension as Rodrygo smashed the resulting free kick into the net to make it 5-2 (61').

Despite two late chances for Real (Bellingham, 90'+1; Mbappé, 90'+7), Barcelona’s victory was never in doubt. The Blaugrana celebrated their first title under Flick, adding to their 4-0 La Liga victory in October with another commanding Clásico win.