Article By Suvankar
Jeddah’s King Abdullah Stadium was transformed into a veritable battlefield tonight. In an El Clásico defined by relentless thrill, high-octane drama, and end-to-end action, FC Barcelona edged out Real Madrid 3–2 to successfully defend their Spanish Super Cup title. There was only one hero on the night: Raphinha.
The match began with a tense, tactical tug-of-war, but the deadlock was shattered in the 36th minute. Raphinha struck like a bolt of lightning, bursting into the box and burying a low clinical finish to put Barça ahead. However, the drama was only just beginning. Deep into first-half stoppage time, Vinicius Junior silenced the stadium with an incredible solo run, dancing past two defenders to slot home a breathtaking equalizer.
Barcelona’s response was immediate and ruthless. Robert Lewandowski restored the lead with a composed, ice-cold chip over the keeper. Yet, in a frantic twist just before the halftime whistle, Gonzalo García struck back to level the scores again. The first half ended 2–2, leaving the crowd breathless.
The decisive moment arrived in the 73rd minute. Raphinha ignited once more, unleashing a powerful shot that took a cruel deflection off a defender and looped into the net. Barcelona led 3–2, leaving the Madrid backline stunned and the traveling fans in a state of pure euphoria.
The closing stages were nothing short of a thriller. In the 90th minute, the tension reached a breaking point when Frenkie de Jong was shown a straight red card for a foul on Kylian Mbappe, forcing Barça to finish with ten men. Real Madrid threw everything forward in a desperate final assault, but goalkeeper Joan Garcia stood like an immovable wall. With a series of heroic, point-blank saves, he single-handedly defied the Madrid onslaught.
As the final whistle echoed through the night, the celebrations erupted. A 3–2 victory secures Barcelona’s 16th Super Cup title. Raphinha didn’t just play tonight—he etched his name into the history books.