Alonso's Real Madrid Crumbles as Barcelona Strikes Again in Spanish Super Cup Final Heartbreak

Similar to the previous season's Spanish Super Cup final, Real Madrid was unable to cross the finish line against arch-rivals Barcelona, losing 3–2 at Alinma Bank Stadium on Sunday night.

Following their victory over the Catalans in October, Los Blancos entered the Clásico with high spirits, despite Kylian Mbappé beginning the match as a substitute. However, Hansi Flick's squad opened the scoring through Raphinha shortly after the thirty-minute mark.

A series of goals during first-half injury time transformed the match into a chaotic spectacle. Vinicius Junior, Robert Lewandowski and Gonzalo García all scored within a four-minute span. Nevertheless, Raphinha sealed the victory in the second period to deliver consecutive Spanish Super Cup championships for Barcelona.

Xabi Alonso will face numerous inquiries regarding Real Madrid's loss, particularly his choice to substitute Vinicius Jr, his most threatening player, in the 82nd minute while his team required a goal.

Real Madrid Player Ratings vs. Barcelona (4-4-2)

*Ratings Provided by FotMob*

GK: Thibaut Courtois—6.1: Cannot be blamed for Barcelona's three goals and was once more let down by his team's terrible defensive display. Produced an excellent save to deny Yamal a goal.

RB: Raúl Asencio—5.8: Could not complete his main task—containing Raphinha. Always fighting an uphill battle, however, when deployed out of his natural position.

CB: Aurélien Tchouaméni—5.6: Received no assistance from his manager's unexpected tactical choice. Completely overwhelmed at the back when facing players like Raphinha and Lewandowski.

CB: Dean Huijsen—5.0: Disappointing in his 2026 debut. Committed errors both with and without possession, was caught out for Barcelona's second goal and played without intensity.

LB: Álvaro Carreras—6.0: Not an exceptional display by any stretch, but still managed to neutralize Yamal, who finished the evening having lost the most duels in the contest.

RM: Federico Valverde—6.6: A largely invisible performance. Completed only nine passes before requesting substitution due to injury.

CM: Jude Bellingham—6.4: Unusually careless with the ball and made reckless tackles. Could not establish any control over the match.

CM: Eduardo Camavinga—6.6: Found it difficult without Tchouaméni's support beside him. At moments it seemed like Camavinga was battling Pedri, De Jong and Fermín single-handedly.

LM: Rodrygo—6.1: Delivered the wayward pass that resulted in Barcelona's first goal. Significantly improved after halftime, particularly in his own half, where he assisted Carreras in containing Yamal.

LW: Vinicius Junior—7.9: Performed with something to demonstrate. Ended his 16-match scoring drought with one of his finest career goals. Jules Koundé had no answer for the Brazilian's threat.

ST: Gonzalo García—7.9: Could not expect more from the 21-year-old. Recorded a goal and assist in his maiden final start.

Subs not used: Andriy Lunin (GK), Dani Carvajal, Antonio Rüdiger, David Jiménez, Fran García, Thiago Pitarch.

Barcelona (4-2-3-1)

Starting XI: Joan García; Jules Koundé, Pau Cubarsí, Eric García, Alejandro Balde; Frenkie De Jong, Pedri; Lamine Yamal, Fermín López, Raphinha; Robert Lewandowski.

Subs used: Dani Olmo, Ferran Torres, Gerard Martín, Marcus Rashford, Ronald Araújo.

Player of the Match: Raphinha (Barcelona)

Real Madrid Players of the Match: Vinicius Junior, Gonzalo García

Barcelona 3–2 Real Madrid—How It Developed at Alinma Bank Stadium

Emotions ran high from the first whistle of the 263rd Clásico, playing out before a capacity crowd in Jeddah. Both Real Madrid and Barcelona enjoyed early periods of control in the opening stages, testing each other in a cautious yet intense beginning.

The standout moment of the first quarter-hour occurred during a Real Madrid counter-attack. Vinicius Jr burst down the left wing, outpacing Jules Koundé, and found himself one-on-one in an instant. The Brazilian failed to add power to his low shot, however, resulting in a comfortable save for Joan García.

The Catalans quickly assumed complete dominance, forcing mistake after mistake from Alonso's players. A wayward pass from Fede Valverde in midfield created a golden opportunity that Raphinha wasted. Within 60 seconds, Rodrygo presented the ball to Fermín López, who provided his Brazilian colleague a second opportunity to give their team a 1–0 advantage.

Raphinha compensated for his earlier miss with a left-footed shot that beat both his marker Aurélien Tchouaméni and Courtois at the far post. Barcelona pressed for a second but lacked the precision to extend their lead. Instead, Vinicius Jr captured the spotlight.

The No. 7 collected the ball from Gonzalo during a transition and embarrassed Koundé with a clever nutmeg at the penalty area's edge. Vinicius Jr then continued his run, weaving through three Barcelona defenders, before completing a spectacular solo effort to level the score at 1–1 in the 47th minute.

Real Madrid's joy was brief. A perfectly-timed pass from Pedri completely exposed Tchouaméni and Dean Huijsen, providing Lewandowski ample time and space to chip a right-footed shot into the net.

As if two goals during first-half stoppage time weren't sufficient, Los Blancos added a third to the tally. Rodrygo sent in an outswinging corner that Huijsen nearly converted, but a defensive header from Raphinha intervened. However, the clearance landed directly to Gonzalo, whose off-balance attempt struck the crossbar and post before crossing the line to make it 2–2.

Real Madrid dominated after the interval, generating opportunity after opportunity through an inspired Vinicius Jr. The Brazilian appeared destined to score the winning goal on multiple occasions, but the framework and Joan García thwarted the winger.

The 15-time European champions would later regret those missed opportunities. Raphinha was central to Barcelona's action once more, this time with a powerful shot that deflected off Raúl Asencio and found the net. The star forward won't mind the fortunate finish, only that it restored his team's lead with 17 minutes remaining.

No further goals materialized, despite an excellent opportunity for Álvaro Carreras, who managed only a weak attempt straight at García in the 96th minute. Real Madrid ultimately endured the disappointment of defeat for the fifth time in their last six Clásicos as Barcelona celebrated their record 16th Spanish Super Cup victory.

Barcelona vs. Real Madrid Halftime Stats

Barcelona vs. Real Madrid Full Time Statistics