Barcelona Thrash Real Madrid 5-2 to Win Record-Extending 15th Spanish Super Cup Title

In a scintillating Spanish Super Cup final held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Barcelona delivered a masterclass performance to defeat Real Madrid 5-2 on January 12, 2025. The victory secured their record-extending 15th Super Cup title and marked the first major trophy under the guidance of manager Hansi Flick.

The match started with a bang as Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappé found the net within five minutes, exploiting Barcelona’s high defensive line. However, the Catalan side swiftly regrouped. Lamine Yamal equalized in the 21st minute after an inch-perfect assist from Robert Lewandowski. Moments later, Lewandowski himself converted a penalty, awarded after Eduardo Camavinga’s foul on Gavi, to give Barcelona the lead.

The onslaught continued as Raphinha scored a towering header, and Alejandro Balde struck just before halftime to make it 4-1. Early in the second half, Raphinha doubled his tally, extending Barcelona’s advantage to 5-1.

Real Madrid tried to mount a comeback, with Rodrygo scoring a sublime free-kick after Barcelona’s goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny was sent off for fouling Mbappé outside the box. Despite playing with ten men for the final 20 minutes, Barcelona managed to keep their rivals at bay.

The victory also saw Barcelona set a historic milestone, becoming the first team to score four or more goals in successive El Clásico matches. Real Madrid’s defensive frailties were exposed, leaving coach Carlo Ancelotti to admit, “We did not show the level required for a game of this magnitude.”

With this emphatic triumph, Barcelona has firmly re-established themselves as a force to be reckoned with, while Real Madrid will need to regroup and address their defensive lapses as the season progresses.