January 11, (THEWILL) — Raphinha’s brace proved decisive in Sunday’s Supercopa de España final, earning a 3-2 victory over Real Madrid in Saudi Arabia. The result delivered a record-extending 16th title in the competition for the Blaugrana.
The Brazilian opened the scoring in the 36th minute with a precise finish into the bottom-right corner. Vinicius Junior equalised before half-time, driving from the left flank past Jules Koundé and Pau Cubarsí before curling beyond Joan García. Robert Lewandowski restored the lead in the fourth minute of stoppage time, chipping Thibaut Courtois following Pedri’s excellent pass.
Real Madrid drew level again before the interval when Gonzalo García converted from close range after Dean Huijsen’s header from Rodrygo’s corner rebounded off the crossbar. Frenkie de Jong could not clear the ball on the line.
The winning goal arrived in the 73rd minute when Raphinha’s effort deflected off Raúl Asencio and went in, moments before a cooling break. Lamine Yamal and Rodrygo both tested the opposing goalkeepers during the second period, whilst Vinicius remained dangerous throughout.
De Jong’s dismissal for a two-footed tackle on Kylian Mbappé left his side with 10 men for the closing stages. Álvaro Carreras and Asencio squandered excellent opportunities in stoppage time, both shooting directly at García, allowing the Catalan side to claim the trophy.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
