Real Madrid is the first Super Cup finalist after beating Barcelona in extra time

Real Madrid beat Barcelona 2-3 the semifinal of the Spanish Super Cup which was played this Wednesday at the King Fahd Stadium in Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), and qualified for the final to be played on Sunday, January 16.

As soon as the game started, Real Madrid created danger based on fluid transitions that had Marco Asensio and Vinícius Júnior as finishers. Barça, on the other hand, did not manage to disturb goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois until the 18th minute, when Dani Alves found a white wall when shooting from the front. Real Madrid’s reply was lethal. Another quick counterattack, this one led by Karim Benzema in minute 24, connected with the feet of Vinícius Junior, who won the race from Ronald Araujo before defining bypass against Ter Stegen (0-1).

Despite White’s clear dominance on the pitch, Barcelona overcame the blow and generated two chances to tie around the 30th minute with Luuk de Jong’s header that ended up in the hands of Thibaut Courtois.

When it seemed that the first half was going to end with a goal advantage for Real Madrid, Luuk de Jong scored (1-1) for the third consecutive game thanks to his instinct to set foot against a rebound from Eder Militao inside the area, thus achieving the tie with which the clash reached the break.

Barça coach Xavi Hernández took advantage of the break to put Pedri y Abde replacing Ferrán Torres and Frenkie De Jong. Pedri was precisely the one who had the opportunity to turn the scoreboard with a shot from the edge that touched the right post of the goal defended by Courtois in the first interesting play of the second half.

Barça had become a very different one from the first half, unleashing Madrid, and shortly after Dembélé did not sing the goal for a sigh. In minute 66 Ansu Fati He jumped onto the pitch replacing Luuk de Jong. Fati had not played since he was injured on November 6.

Then a superlative appeared Benzema. In the 69th minute he crashed a shot into the post and, in the 72nd minute, he was attentive inside the area to make the 1-2 after a rejection by Ter Stegen to Carvajal’s center.

After conceding the second goal, Barça came back to rebuild: Ansu Fati returned the equality to the scoreboard (2-2) with a header from Jordi Alba with seven minutes remaining in the game.

In the final stretch of the second half, Dembélé had a head-to-head with Courtois, who was great against the Frenchman and sent the semifinal to extra time.

Barça had possession of the ball at the start of extra time, but Real Madrid was comfortable defending low. In the 98th minute, the Madrid team recovered the ball in the center of the field, put together a good attack play, and Fede Valverde put the 2-3 on the scoreboard.

Xavi Hernández’s men continued without giving up and had a triple chance to beat Courtois at minute 100, but Sergio Busquets, Dembélé and Pedri were left at the gates of the long-awaited draw. Also Ansu Fati with an agonizing Chilean attempt. Rodrygo was able to round off the victory of Real Madrid, although he was not right against Ter Stegen.

The Classic ended with the triumph of a Real Madrid (2-3) that is planted in the final.

Datasheet:

2 – Barcelona: Ter Stegen; Dani Alves (Nico González, min. 78), Araujo, Piqué, Jordi Alba; Sergio Busquets, Gavi (Memphis, min. 78), Frenkie de Jong (Pedri, min. 46); Ferran Torres (Ez Abde, min. 46; Jutglà, min. 110), Dembélé and Luuk de Jong (Ansu Fati, min. 66).

3 Real Madrid: Courtois; Carvajal (Lucas Vázquez, min. 91), Militao, Nacho, Mendy; Casemiro, Kroos, Modric (Valverde, min. 82); Asensio (Rodrygo, min. 68), Vinícius (Camavinga, min. 110) and Benzema.

Goals: 0-1: Vinícius Junior, min.24; 1-1: Luuk de Jong, min.42; 1-2: Karim Benzema, min.72. 2-2: Ansu Fati, min.83. 2-3: ‘Fat’ Valverde, min.98.

Referee: José Luis Munuera Montero (Andalusian Committee). He showed a yellow card to Dani Alves (min. 51) for Barcelona and Casemiro (min. 75) and Fede Valverde (min. 98) for Real Madrid.