Brazilian star Raphael Belloli, popularly known as Raphinha, was the hero as Barcelona edged Real Madrid 3-2 in a thrilling Spanish Super Cup final at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
The first half was a pulsating display, filled with end-to-end action and four goals. Barcelona took the lead in the 36th minute when Raphinha capitalised on Pedri’s through ball, making a darting run into the box before calmly slotting a low shot past the goalkeeper.
Real Madrid responded immediately in first-half injury time through Vinicius Junior, who dazzled with a solo effort involving a nutmeg on Jules Koundé before finishing expertly into the far corner.
Just two minutes later, Barcelona regained the lead when Robert Lewandowski found space in the box to chip a delightful finish, making it 2-1 going into the interval.
However, Real Madrid levelled again before halftime from a corner. After Raphinha cleared a header off the line, Gonzalo Garcia pounced on the rebound, with the ball ricocheting off the post and crossing the line amid a scramble.
In the second half, Raphinha once again became decisive, scoring the winner in the 73rd minute. Despite slipping slightly, he fired a shot that took a deflection off Raul Asencio, wrong-footing Thibaut Courtois and nestling into the net.
Tension rose late as Barcelona were reduced to ten men following the sending-off of captain Frenkie De Jong for a tackle on Kylian Mbappe. Real Madrid pushed hard for an equaliser, with close chances from Álvaro Carreras and Franco Mastantuono, but Barcelona goalkeeper Joan Garcia produced a remarkable performance to keep the score intact.
Barcelona clinched their 16th Spanish Super Cup title, successfully defending the trophy they won last year.
By: Andrews Addotey
