FC Barcelona won the coveted Copa del Rey title against Real Madrid. They fought hard from the start and finally achieved their goal. It is the first of three possible titles, and they won 3-2 on the brink of penalties after a frantic, thrilling match that, from the second half onwards, was full of tension due to everything that had happened in the final hours. Everything was left on the pitch. And that’s how it looked throughout the match, a duel that reflected the typical suffering on both sides. The true essence of El Clásico, in which Barça deservedly took home the trophy.
FC Barcelona ends Real Madrid’s hopes and wins the Copa del Rey, the first title of the season
The moment has arrived. Surrounded by controversy, but it has arrived. FC Barcelona and Real Madrid battled it out on Saturday in the final of the Copa del Rey to add another title to their trophy cabinets. It was an exciting match in a season in which the Azulgrana club has stood out for its play and the Whites continue to struggle to find their form.
The history of El Clásico in the Copa del Rey began in 1902, with a 2-1 victory for Barcelona in the Coronation Cup. Although it was not yet the official Copa del Rey, that first encounter was the starting point of a rivalry that has grown to become one of the most eagerly awaited matches in world football.
Since then, Real Madrid and FC Barcelona have met 38 times in this competition. The balance slightly favors the Culés with 16 victories, compared to 13 for the Whites and 8 draws. In terms of goals scored, the Whites have scored 69, compared to 68 for Barça, demonstrating the extreme parity in this series.
In terms of finals played between them, there have been a total of seven to date, with Real Madrid winning four and Barcelona three. The last one is fondly remembered by Madrid fans, as it was in 2014 in that match that was marked by Gareth Bale’s iconic run against Marc Bartra.
The match started at a fairly intense level, with a very direct first few minutes between the two sides. So much so that it was Pedri himself who, after Lamine Yamal had tried several times, and even Ferrán himself, finally scored the goal that put FC Barcelona ahead. He did so in the 27th minute, and from then on, although Barça took control of the game and also of the ball, Real Madrid not only did not back down, but also made the Catalans work hard to try to get to goal throughout the first half.
Real Madrid, however, needed to have possession of the ball, to get the game into position and, ultimately, to enter the game with more strength than they had shown. In the first half, it was clear that FC Barcelona were hardly troubled by the Real Madrid players. Their biggest scare came from a Vinicius run, but the Madrid player was offside. Bellingham beat him but was also clearly offside.
Mbappé and Tchouaméni brought Real Madrid back to life
But in the second half, everything changed. Carlo Ancelotti brought on Mbappé, who had an immediate impact from the moment he stepped onto the pitch. In fact, Mbappé, along with his connection with Vinicius and Bellingham, had several chances to score the equalizer during the first 25 minutes of the second half.
Polish goalkeeper Szczesny was largely responsible for preventing Real Madrid from scoring in the second half. Vinicius received the ball several times in the area, but his shots were blocked by the Barcelona goalkeeper.
However, as had been the case throughout the game, Real Madrid found another gear and managed to equalize first through Mbappé, giving them the lifeline they needed to win the game, or at least to believe they could win it. And then, in just six minutes, it was Real Madrid’s intensity against FC Barcelona that managed to turn the score around with a second goal for the Madridistas from the feet of Tchouaméni after a great play.
Ancelotti’s men believed they could lift the trophy again, that it could be another ‘molto longa’ night. Especially because all the moves started in midfield or ended up at the feet of Vinicius or Mbappé, who fired them into the net.
Ferrán Torres put Barça back in the game
But FC Barcelona, who already had several tired and exhausted players, especially due to the heavy schedule, gave one last push and, in a moment of carelessness, Ferrán Torres put them back in the game. It was time to regain hope for some, while for others it was time to fight back again. Vinicius felt it, suffering from fatigue in his legs and having to come off with two minutes to go.
Meanwhile, in one of the few controversial moments of the game, Fermín brought down Luka Modric in the area, but the referee did not blow his whistle. But that wasn’t the end of it. In the next move, a challenge by Raphinha in the area should have been penalized for a foul by Asencio, which would have ended the game with one minute to go. After an exhaustive VAR review, referee De Burgos decided not to award a penalty, but to give Raphinha a yellow card for diving. It was a major mess that remained just that, a mess, as the game went into extra time.
There, and continuing into extra time, it can be said that the game had everything. Goals, a comeback, and even a penalty in the last minute that was ultimately overturned by VAR. But the best was saved for last, as is often the case in these kinds of games.
Extra time left both teams exhausted
That’s when FC Barcelona, already quite tired and even ecstatic, as was the case with Lamine Yamal and Raphinha, wanted to slow down the game, seeing that Real Madrid, for some reason, seemed to be in a slightly better position at certain moments. In between, there were chances for Ferrán and Fermín, and also one for Mbappé, but they came to nothing. Both teams, after 100 minutes of running around, were exhausted.
From then on, the game was down to one mistake or one stroke of luck. Neither team wanted the ball unless it was to get into the box. It was back and forth, neither side giving an inch. It happened in the final minutes with Ferrán and also with Bellingham. No one wanted penalties, but…
Koundé strikes and scores the decisive 3-2
That’s why everyone took advantage, once again, of the chances that came their way in the last 15 minutes of extra time. Both Flick’s and Ancelotti’s teams needed a breather, but the physical condition of some players was worrying. Even Lamine Yamal and Rudiger were seen limping. And they weren’t the worst off.
That’s when, after so much attacking, so much playing, so much persistence… FC Barcelona had one of their last chances to finish the game off. And this time it was Koundé who scored a magical goal that, among many subsequent plays, including some by the Whites, secured the definitive and happy victory for FC Barcelona. In the last minute, a foul that wasn’t called caused a sour end to a game that had been more than entertaining. Vinicius protested and was shown a red card, while Rudiger had to be held back by four players to stop him from going after the referee. The Culés won their 32nd Copa del Rey, possibly the most hard-fought in recent years.