This time – in the final of the Spanish Super Cup.

It is too early to say that Real could develop any complexes from the meetings with Barcelona, ​​​​but the current season is doing everything to ensure that sooner or later this happens. After the 4:0 defeat in the Spanish championship, a new one happened. Furthermore, before the match it seemed that this time Real would not repeat their mistakes. He approached this bout on a five-match winning streak, full of determination and self-belief.

Barcelona, ​​on the other hand, found themselves under pressure and criticism after a lackluster record in La Liga. Plus this uproar around Pau Victor and Dani Olmo, who first weren’t allowed to register, and then were allowed to do so. In general, the camp spoke in favor of Real. But El Clasico is already a clash in itself. So these pre-game conversations often prove futile.

Advancing from destiny

It must be said that the first part of the match was not at all rosy for Barcelona, ​​despite the score with which they entered half-time. After all, in the opening few minutes, the Catalans wasted three of their best scoring opportunities. Some were unlucky, but more often Thibaut Courtois showed a brilliant reaction, activating “God mode” from the start. He saved Lamin Yamal’s trademark tricky shot, then parried Raphinha’s header almost point-blank with a rebound from the field.

The succession of missed chances was continued by Rafinha himself, who easily found space on the left in the penalty area, but didn’t have enough accuracy to shoot into the far corner. Furthermore, before this, an exemplary counterattack by Kylian Mbappe allowed Real to take the lead in the fifth minute. This, against the backdrop of missed opportunities, could have broken Barcelona. But it turned out that this only relaxed Real. If we can talk about relaxation in relation to such a confrontation and such a struggle for status.

Solve the problem

The previous match between these rivals was memorable as Barcelona scored four unanswered goals in the second half. This time she managed to the same level in the second half of the first half, starting exactly from the middle. Real did not appear to be alarmed by the problems that the Catalans revealed in defense in the first minutes. The Madrid team stubbornly repeated their mistakes. And once again Yamal, in his typical way, with a move from right to center, struck, this time with no escape for Courtois. Lamin opened Real’s defense too easily.

But just over ten minutes later, Barcelona earned a penalty. Again, stupidity on defense. Eduardo Camavinga played sloppily against Gavi in ​​his own penalty area, hitting him in the thigh. With the help of VAR, the referee determined the penalty and Robert Lewandowski converted it. Another three minutes pass and Rafinha punishes Real Madrid for another lesson not learned: once again with a header without interference, but this time without saving Courtois. And just like at the start of the match, the Brazilian was missed by Lucas Vazquez, who took a surprisingly passive stance.

The fourth goal was largely aided by the huge amount of injury time. More than ten minutes had passed. And right at the end there was a counterattack, where Rafinha brought out Alejandro Balde to strike, and he shot through Courtois. They added a lot thanks to the forced substitution of Inigo Martinez, who was injured, as well as the assistance to Mbappe, who found himself on the grass twice. However, Kilian managed to continue the game. But there was no trace left of the initial activity. She only returned at the end of the match, when it was too late.

Finishing and occasions

At half-time Carlo Ancelotti replaced Camavinga, who failed several times and was booked, with Dani Ceballos. Real probably had some plan and could have started implementing it immediately, but Rodrigo, having passed Vinicius, shot beautifully onto the crossbar. The karma that hit Barcelona at the start of the first half due to missed opportunities has now hit Real Madrid again. The Catalans immediately scored the fifth. Rafinha, protagonist of the fight, created an exemplary counterattack. Already in the penalty area, he mockingly removed Aurelien Tchouameni and shot Courtois low again.

As if it were a capitulation, Ancelotti then released Raul Asensio in defense in place of Vazquez. Apparently, so that the score does not become even more devastating. Because there was no point in correcting something with a move like that. Yes, Vasquez ruined the match. Like Chuameni did, for example. But already in the first minutes of the match they began not to defend him. Then you should have reacted. And after losing five, somehow it’s too late.

However, the ghost of hope lit up in Real’s eyes when the Catalans missed a counterattack from the awakened Mbappe. On the verge of offside, he ran away one-on-one and Wojciech Szczesny, coming out of the penalty area, tripped Kilian with his foot. The referee initially did not react because he believed the Frenchman was offside. But VAR is convinced that this is not the case and the Barcelona goalkeeper deserves to be sent off for a last resort foul.

This, of course, was not a penalty, but Real Madrid now converted the occasion in exemplary fashion. Rodrigo’s direct free kick forces only Iñaki Pena to capitulate. But the three-goal difference remained too significant to seriously consider Madrid’s return to action. Indeed, the game crumpled, tore, oversaturated with emotional clashes that spoiled the atmosphere and killed time. Real Madrid still squeezed out a few opportunities, but nothing more.

The outcome of the match was decided by Real’s errors in defence. They were too obvious, Real Madrid provided scoring chances to Barcelona too easily. All he had to do was use them, which the Catalans did not do without problems at first. Perhaps Ancelotti should have made a different choice as a starter, entrusting the starting place to Asensio instead of Vazquez. But we are all strong in hindsight. Real Madrid clearly shouldn’t flirt with the idea of ​​positioning Tchuameni as a centre-back. This can work for a long time, and then this happens. Sometimes a dozen victories achieved are erased by such defeats.