FC Barcelona defeated arch-rivals Real Madrid 3-2 in the Spanish Supercup final, winning back-to-back Supercups for the first time since 2011. It turned out to be a really close battle, even though FC Barcelona dominated most of the game, controlling the pace and calculating their attacks. On the other hand, Real Madrid relied more on individual brilliance, such as Vinícius Jr’s outrageous solo goal to level the game 1-1.

Raphinha, the MVP of the final, ended up making the difference by scoring a brace and playing a key part in dismantling Real Madrid’s defence. The Brazilian winger was constantly on the move and in doing so, made the defenders drift out of position. Having said this, Real Madrid’s centre-backs were still nowhere near close enough to the attackers during the game. The prime example came in the 45+4′, as Robert Lewandowski slipped past the defenders and went through on goal completely by himself to chip in the second FC Barcelona goal.

Real Madrid failed to build up their attacks correctly and weren’t very efficient in the final third. This is what ultimately hurt them and helped FC Barcelona win their first title of the season. It’s also worth noting that every time the Spanish Supercup has been played in Saudi Arabia, the winner of the competition has gone on to win the league at the end of the season. A pretty favourable stat for FC Barcelona, but Real Madrid will look to be the first team to change this, as they’re four points behind the league leaders.

Featured image 1: courtesy of LaLiga Content Hub