Barcelona Triumphs in Style against Real Madrid to secures the Spanish Supercopa, leaving Ancelotti’s side disappointed
Barcelona delivered a resounding 5-2 victory over Real Madrid in the Spanish Supercopa final on Sunday, a performance that offered a significant morale boost for the Catalan club and their coach Hansi Flick, while leaving Carlo Ancelotti’s side reeling.
The match began brightly for Madrid, with Kylian Mbappé scoring in the fifth minute. However, Barça quickly asserted their dominance as teenager Lamine Yamal equalized. Goals from Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, and Alejandro Balde followed, giving Barcelona a commanding 4-1 lead at halftime. Raphinha added another after the break before Wojciech Szczesny’s red card briefly provided Madrid a numerical advantage. Rodrygo’s late strike offered a consolation for Los Blancos but did little to soften the blow.
Speaking at the post-match press conference, a visibly dejected Ancelotti admitted his team’s defensive frailties were their undoing. We didn’t defend well,” Ancelotti said. “We tried to press high and defend with a low block, but they scored goals too easily. We lost a lot of duels, and that makes us sad and disappointed. This is football. We have to recover our form and prepare for the next game.”
Ancelotti further criticized the team’s collective defensive efforts. “We weren’t compact, and we have to defend better. Even with an extra man after Szczesny’s red card, we couldn’t find solutions.”
Despite the loss, Ancelotti praised Mbappé, who continues to impress in his debut season for Real Madrid. The French forward has scored in all three final appearances for the club this season, bringing his total to 14 goals across all competitions.
“I’d focus on Mbappé, who had a very good game,” Ancelotti said. “It was a great move to score the goal. But the rest, we should forget about and look forward.”
Veteran midfielder Luka Modric also addressed the defeat, apologizing to fans and promising that Madrid would bounce back.
“We didn’t expect to lose like this, but it’s football,” Modric said. “We’re sorry to the fans. We have to stay united; there’s a lot of the season left. If we have to lose a trophy, we’d prefer it to be this one.”
Modric also commended Barcelona’s performance. “They played a very good game, and we have to congratulate them. They were better, and we have to correct our mistakes.”
The win provides much-needed relief for Barcelona, whose recent league form had raised questions about their trajectory under Flick. For Madrid, the defeat halts their momentum and denies them a chance at their third trophy of the season.
Real Madrid will aim to bounce back quickly as they face Celta Vigo in the Copa del Rey last 16 on Thursday at the Bernabéu, followed by a LaLiga fixture against Las Palmas. For now, Ancelotti’s side must regroup and address the vulnerabilities exposed by their arch-rivals in Saudi Arabia.
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