A ten-man Barcelona reclaimed the Spanish Super Cup from Real Madrid on Sunday evening courtesy of a stunning 5-2 success over their bitter rivals in the final of the 2025 competition.
Madrid were hoping to avenge their 4-0 defeat by Barcelona in October’s La Liga Clasico but instead were left battered and bruised by their arch-rivals in Jeddah.
After Mbappe’s opener, Lamine Yamal leveled, and Robert Lewandowski sent Barcelona ahead from the penalty spot. Raphinha bagged a brace, and Alejandro Balde was also on target.
Rodrygo Goes pulled one back for Madrid with a free-kick, but they could not capitalize further on their numerical advantage in a humiliating defeat for the European champions.
Both Flick and his opposite number, Carlo Ancelotti, opted to maintain the same line-ups they started with in the semi-finals.
Yamal issued Madrid an early warning with a curling effort from the right, which forced Thibaut Courtois to make a fine save.
The Belgian goalkeeper also produced a strong stop to keep a Raphinha header at bay after the Brazilian evaded Lucas Vazquez with ease.
Despite Barcelona’s opening salvo, it was Real Madrid who took the lead in the fifth minute with Mbappe’s brilliant goal on the counter-attack.
The French forward, frustrated numerous times by the offside flag in the league defeat by the Catalans, broke loose on the halfway line after Vinicius won the ball back and, after bursting into the area, clipped past Szczesny.
It took a stunning individual goal from 17-year-old Yamal to level the scoreline, with the Spanish winger cutting in from the right before stroking home a low finish inside the near post in a similar style to former Barca great Lionel Messi, whom he is often compared to.
Inigo Martinez hobbled off injured, and Flick sent on Ronald Araujo in his place; amidst heavy transfer speculation, the Uruguayan defender wants to leave the club.
Barcelona kept pushing and moved ahead through Lewandowski’s penalty after Eduardo Camavinga arrived late and carelessly clattered Gavi.
Raphinha soon added Barcelona’s third with a header from Jules Kounde’s cross from deep, and they grabbed their fourth before half-time on the break.
Yamal and Raphinha combined, and the latter slipped in Balde, who slotted past Courtois.
Barcelona continued in the same vein after the break, and Raphinha netted the fifth with a neat dribble and finished after Marc Casado had played him in.
The Catalans were reduced to 10 men when Mbappe sped in at the other end, rounding goalkeeper Szczesny, who brought him down outside the area and, after a VAR review, was dismissed.
Rodrygo, who earlier hit the post, rifled home the free-kick past Szczesny’s replacement Inaki Pena.
Mbappe brilliantly teed up Jude Bellingham, but the England international was denied a superb Kounde challenge during stoppage time.
The French forward also came close to scoring again himself on a fine individual display, but Pena tipped away his effort.
Barcelona brought on midfielder Dani Olmo for his first appearance since he was registered to play for the club temporarily, a controversial issue that overshadowed the semi-finals earlier in the week.
However, their five-star display offered a host of other talking points as Barca won a record-extending 15th Spanish Super Cup.
