Raphinha Fires Barcelona to Supercopa Glory

Barcelona once again proved they have the upper hand in the Supercopa de Espana after outlasting arch-rivals Real Madrid 3-2 in a pulsating final played on Sunday night in Saudi Arabia. It was a contest packed with goals, controversy and momentum swings, but ultimately it was Raphinha who stood tallest to deliver silverware for Barcelona.

The final started at a high tempo, with Barcelona dominating possession early and probing for openings. Their pressure paid off in the 36th minute when Raphinha made amends for an earlier miss by steering a precise finish beyond Thibaut Courtois to give the Blaugrana the lead.

What followed before the break was pure madness. Real Madrid struck back in stoppage time through a moment of individual brilliance from Vinicius Junior, who sliced through the Barcelona defence to level matters. Barcelona responded almost immediately as Robert Lewandowski calmly chipped Courtois to restore the lead, only for Gonzalo Garcia to bundle home a dramatic equaliser deep into added time. At half-time, the score stood at a scarcely believable 2-2.

The second half lacked the same relentless intensity, but the tension never dropped. Both benches turned to substitutions in search of control, while tempers flared and cards began to fly. With the match finely balanced, Raphinha delivered the decisive moment midway through the half, firing in a deflected effort that wrongfooted Courtois and sent the Barcelona end into celebration.

Real Madrid threw everything forward in the closing stages, especially after Frenkie de Jong was sent off late on, but Barcelona held firm. A heroic last-ditch save from Joan Garcia and disciplined defending in stoppage time ensured the Blaugrana crossed the line as winners.

The victory handed Barcelona their 16th Supercopa crown and a third title in four years, underlining their recent dominance in the competition. They also finished the night as deserved winners on the numbers, outperforming Real Madrid on expected goals and overall control.

For Real Madrid, it was another painful Supercopa final defeat, while for Barcelona, it was yet another reminder that when it comes to this stage, they know exactly how to get the job done.