It took two times and the extension, entitled to twists and penalty annulled by VAR at the last minute, but Barcelona defeated Real Madrid in the King Cup final, and deepened the rival’s crisis.
Hansi Flick’s team took the cup on Saturday (26), with a 3-2 win, with goals from Pedri, Ferrán Torres and Jules Koundé at the La Cartuja Olympic Stadium in Seville. For Madrid, they marked Mbappé and Tchouameni.
With Saturday’s victory in the third Classic of the season, the team wins the first jewel of the triple crown, which tries to reach for the third time. At the moment, the Blue-Grená team still leads the Spanish Championship and is in the Champions League semifinal for the first time in six years.
It is the 32nd Cup of the King Cup won by Barcelona, the greatest champion in the history of the tournament.
The trophy also signals a surprising season for the Young Cast Flick team that has difficulty signing new talents, but which has been presenting results above expected – seeing what destination awaits them in the other two tournaments.
On the other hand, this Saturday’s defeat is another nail in Carlo Ancelotti’s coffin at the head of Real Madrid. Pressured by a complicated season, despite having a galactic cast, the coach has been facing growing questions about his stay in the team, being the defeat for Arsenal in the quarterfinals of Champions, ten days ago, the point – then – more serious of the crisis.
Foreign press reports that the Madrid team board intended to evaluate the situation of Italian after Saturday’s final – it has a contract with the team until the middle of 2026.
If the departure of the Italian is confirmed, the Brazilian team is one of its likely destinations. The president of the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) does not make a mystery about his preference for Ancelotti for the national team’s place of coach, which has been open since Dorival Júnior’s resignation-received at Corinthians-in March.
The game
Barcelona dominated the entire first half, maintaining possession of ball and control of the pace of the match, with opponents having difficulty engaging counterattacks.
At 28 minutes, Pedri sent a long pass to Lamine Yamal on the right end. The young Spaniard carried the ball in and sent a pass to the center of the field, which rediscovered the midfielder in the half moon. Pedri kicked hard, with no chance of defense for goalkeeper Courtois.
After the break, the meringues returned to the field with the French star Kylian Mbappé in place of Brazilian Rodrygo. Early in the second stage, Ancelotti made two more changes, bringing Modric and Arda Guller in place of Lucas Vásquez and Ceballos.
The changes energized the Merengue team, which recovered the control of the departure of the foot of the Catalan rivals. Following a ball from Bellingham’s ball, Mbappé advanced through the opposing field until he was stopped by Jong at the entrance of the area. The Frenchman himself hit the charge, low and in the corner of goalkeeper Szczesny, drawing the match on 24 minutes.
Real did not slow down. With 31 minutes on the clock, Tchouameni headed alone in a corner kick, putting the team ahead on the scoreboard.
After the shock, Barcelona resorted and pressured again. Seven minutes after giving the second goal, Yamal took a pass to Ferrán Torres between defender Rüdiger and goalkeeper Courtois. The Spaniard just had to push the ball into the empty goal.
With the extension approaching, the game became more chaotic. In the last minute of the six of additions, Judge Ricardo de Burgos Bengoechea pointed to Asencio’s penalty in Raphinha. Check by the video referee, however, did not indicate a touch of the defender, and the Brazilian, erased in the match, took a yellow card.
In extension, the best chances were created by Barcelona. Torres kicked out and a goal annulled by impediment. Fermín sent kick over the crossbar.
With ten minutes to the end of the extension, Ancelotti put Endrick on the field for the departure of Rüdiger.
The Brazilian could do little, however. Five minutes after his entrance, Real failed the ball. Right-back Koundé dominated and kicked hard in the corner of the goal, yielding Courtois once again and sealing the Barcelona title.
Madrid still had a penalty denied by an impediment. In the followed confusion, Rüdiger and Lucas Vásquez received red cards from the bank, after members of the merengue team throw objects against the referee.
The champions will have a few days to recover: on Wednesday (30), they face Inter Milan in the first leg of the Champions League semifinals.
Referee cried the day before
On Friday (25), in a press interview, referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoechea denounced the constant pressures on the part of Real Madrid’s official television and the consequences for his family.
The referee referred to a compilation broadcast by Real Madrid TV with supposed errors of his in decisions that the merengue club believes to have been harmful. Bengoechea reported that her son suffers bullying because of the publication.
“When your child goes to school and comes back crying because other children say that his father is a thief, it is very difficult. What I do in my case is to try to educate my son to tell you that his father is honest, above all, honest. That is wrong, like any sportsman. On the day I leave here, I want my son to be proud of the father and the arbitration. embargoed by tears.
Real Madrid TV produces this type of video every week to discredit the referees of your team’s upcoming matches.
In response, the team requested the replacement of the main referee and refused to attend the press conference and an official dinner. Faced with rumors that it would give up the final, the Madrid club published a statement stating that it would not stop playing.
