Real Madrid 4-1 FC Barcelona: Super Cup defeat

Not this time. Barça so dearly wanted to retain the Spanish Super Cup, but whereas 12 months ago they utterly overwhelmed Real Madrid, this time it was the all-whites who won the trophy fair and square.

After conceding twice in the first ten minutes, it was up uphill struggle all the way. And although Barça battled long and hard to get back into the game, and there was a flash of hope when Robert Lewandowski fired in the best finish of the game, two further goals from Madrid and a red card for Ronald Araujo turned a difficult job into an impossible one.

Worst possible start

The damage was already done in the first few instants. While Barça were settling into things, Madrid were hungry to get things moving quick.
Just seven minutes into the game, Jules Bellingham’s through ball gave Vinícius Junior all the space he needed against Iñaki Peña and the Brazilian shuffled past the Barça keeper to put his side ahead.

A brilliant Peña save prevented what looked like a certain second for the all-whites, but he was beaten for a second time just moments later. The Barça defence was again caught in a muddle, Rodrygo made full use of the space, and Vinícius was on hand to scramble his cross over the line.

Fleeting hope

Ten minutes gone and Barça were already two down. And it hurts to say, but more Madrid goals looked somewhat more likely than a Barça comeback.

The dynamic needed to change, and it did. Barça worked their way into the game and were rewarded by an absolute thunderbolt of a goal from Lewandowski. Andriy Lunin did get a hand to it, but the Pole’s strike was far too hot.

Frustratingly, just when things were finally looking up, an Araujo hand on the back of Vinícius was enough to have the referee pointing at the spot, and after 39 minutes of football, the Madrid forward already had his hat-trick.

No way back

Barça was the team that had the work to do in the second half. And work they did, but the real chances weren’t coming and there was always the danger of getting hit again by the lethal Madrid counter attack.

On 64 minutes, it happened. Jules Kounde cleared Vinícius’ initial ball, but only as far as Rodrygo. And that was 4-1.

If the game wasn’t already well and truly over, it certainly was when Araujo was (somewhat harshly) shown a second yellow card.

Time to bounce back

The match officials didn’t allow a single minute of injury time. There was no need. This game was over.

Barça can now only lift themselves from this disappointment. There’s a cup match to come on Thursday at Unionistas and then it’s Betis away in the league on Sunday.

As captain Sergi Roberto said after the game, “we have mistakes to learn from tonight. But we still have three big competitions to compete for. And I have every faith in this team. I'm we can pick things up again.”

So are we. There's still a lot of football to be played this season. Força Barça!