Raphinha Brace Fires Barcelona Past Real Madrid 3-2 in Thrilling Supercopa Final

Barcelona edged Real Madrid 3-2 in a pulsating Supercopa de Espana final in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, with Raphinha scoring twice to outshine his fellow Brazilian Vinicius Junior and hand Hansi Flick’s side the first trophy of the Spanish season.

The match exploded into life with three goals in a chaotic six-minute spell just before half-time after a cagey opening period. Raphinha opened the scoring in the 38th minute, finishing coolly after Fermin Lopez’s through ball caught Madrid’s defence flat-footed. Vinicius Junior levelled with a sensational solo goal in first-half stoppage time, dribbling from halfway, nutmegging Jules Kounde, evading Pau Cubarsi and slotting past Joan Garcia.

Barcelona restored their lead almost immediately when Robert Lewandowski delicately chipped Thibaut Courtois from a Pedri pass. Parity was restored again when Dean Huijsen’s header struck the bar and Gonzalo Garcia reacted quickest to bundle the rebound home in the 52nd minute of play after confusion over added time.

The second half remained end-to-end. Vinicius forced a save from Garcia early on and later teed up Rodrygo, but it was Raphinha who proved decisive, his 73rd-minute shot from the edge of the box taking a heavy deflection off Raul Asencio to wrong-foot Courtois.

Late drama saw Frenkie de Jong sent off for a reckless challenge on substitute Kylian Mbappe, while Alvaro Carreras spurned a glorious late chance for Madrid. Barcelona held firm to claim the trophy and maintain their dominance over their rivals.

Has Xabi Alonso done enough to keep his job?

Barcelona were unquestionably Spain’s outstanding team last season, winning all four Clasicos and sweeping all three domestic titles under Hansi Flick. Xabi Alonso’s first Clasico victory in October – a 2-1 win at the Bernabeu – offered hope that the balance might be shifting, though Barcelona were missing key players including Raphinha and Lewandowski that night.

Since then, Alonso’s project at Real Madrid has hit turbulence, with reports that president Florentino Perez was losing patience and considering a change. A heavy defeat in Jeddah was widely seen as potentially fatal to Alonso’s tenure.

Yet Madrid’s spirited, competitive display – particularly Vinicius Junior’s best performance in months – suggests the former midfielder has earned more time. Sources close to the dressing room indicate players remain supportive despite earlier murmurs of discontent. Madrid pushed hard for an equaliser that would have forced penalties, with late chances falling to Carreras and Asencio, only for small margins to decide a game that could have gone either way.

Like November’s Champions League loss to Manchester City, Madrid fought valiantly but were beaten by a more cohesive side. Injuries again played a part – Mbappe and much of the first-choice defence were not fully fit. While Perez’s decisions are never predictable, Alonso now appears likely to remain in charge for the next La Liga Clasico in May.

First-half madness after slow start

The opening half-hour was tactically fascinating but low on clear chances, with Alonso deploying a deep, compact shape reminiscent of Jose Mourinho’s Madrid sides that frustrated Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona.

Madrid looked comfortable, surviving an early scare when Carreras escaped serious punishment for a stamp on Lamine Yamal. They even threatened through Vinicius and Gonzalo.

Everything changed after the drinks break. Raphinha wasted a golden chance but made amends minutes later with his opener. Vinicius’s stunning equaliser and Lewandowski’s immediate response followed, before Gonzalo’s bizarre rebound goal off the bar ensured the teams went in level after a frantic spell.

Raphinha outshines Vinicius in battle of the Brazilians

Vinicius Junior began brightly but lacked composure early on, snatching at chances during a 17-game goal drought stretching back to October. His spectacular solo strike just before the break reminded everyone of his world-class ability, and he continued to terrorise Barcelona’s defence after the restart, wearing the captain’s armband after Federico Valverde’s injury.

Yet it was Raphinha who stole the show. His deflected winner completed a brace, following his double in the 5-0 semi-final win over Athletic Club. The former Leeds winger was also MVP in last year’s Supercopa final. While he may not always receive the global recognition some feel he deserves, Raphinha proved the decisive Brazilian on the night.

Real Madrid: January 14 – Albacete (away), Copa del Rey Barcelona: January 15 – Racing Santander (away), Copa del Rey