Barcelona successfully defended the Spanish Super Cup after edging Real Madrid 3-2 in a pulsating El Clasico showdown in Saudi Arabia.
Raphinha was the standout performer, scoring twice, while Robert Lewandowski also found the net as the Catalans secured a record-extending 16th Super Cup title in Jeddah.
The victory came despite Barcelona finishing the match with 10 men following a late red card for Frenkie de Jong.
The opening exchanges were cagey in the Saudi heat, with Barcelona dominating possession and Madrid sitting deep, waiting to counter through Vinicius Junior.
The Brazilian, who had gone 16 games without a goal, looked lively early on and tested Joan Garcia with a powerful run and shot.
Barcelona eventually broke the deadlock in the 36th minute when Raphinha made amends for an earlier miss by drilling a low shot across Thibaut Courtois into the far corner.
Madrid responded in style as Vinicius drifted in from the left, nutmegged Jules Kounde and coolly finished to restore parity.
Four minutes into stoppage time, Barca regained the lead through Lewandowski, who delicately chipped the ball home after a perfectly weighted pass from Pedri.
But Madrid struck back almost immediately before the break, with Gonzalo Garcia reacting quickest to convert after Dean Huijsen’s header came back off the crossbar, leaving the score finely poised at 2-2 at half-time.
The tempo dropped after the restart, with clear chances at a premium. Rodrygo forced a save from Garcia, while Courtois denied teenage winger Lamine Yamal at the other end.
Barcelona found the decisive moment in the 73rd minute as Raphinha’s long-range effort took a deflection off Raul Asencio and looped beyond Courtois.
It marked the Brazilian’s seventh goal in his last five appearances in all competitions and ultimately proved the match-winner.
Madrid coach Xabi Alonso, who had started with Kylian Mbappe on the bench due to a recent knee issue, introduced the French star late on in search of an equaliser.
Mbappe’s presence added urgency, and De Jong was sent off for a high challenge on him, handing Madrid a numerical advantage in the closing stages.
Even so, Barcelona came closest to scoring again in stoppage time when Marcus Rashford broke clear but fired wide.
Madrid’s final opportunity fell to Asencio, whose late header was comfortably saved by Garcia.
Under Hansi Flick, Barcelona claimed the fourth trophy of his tenure, continuing his impressive Clasico record against Madrid.
With recent Super Cup winners often going on to lift the La Liga title, the Catalans will hope this hard-fought triumph sets the tone for another successful campaign.
