Riyadh, January 14 (Reuters) On Sunday, Real Madrid defeated rival Barcelona 4-1 in Saudi Arabia to win the Spanish Super Cup. Vinicius Jr. scored a hat-trick in the first half of the match.
Real controlled every facet of the match and played with the winners from the previous year, who were unable to manage Vinicius and finished with 10 men when Ronald Araujo, the defender, was sent off in the 71st minute for a second card following two fouls on the Brazilian.
Real manager Carlo Ancelotti remarked to Movistar Plus, I didn’t anticipate us to score three so soon, but we took advantage of their high defensive line with an amazing Vinicius today.
That was a difficult match, and considering how Barcelona played, the result felt excessive.3-1 was the score. He dropped a little weapon at 4-1. We’re content.”
Barca might have lost even more to Ancelotti’s kindness following a lackluster second half in which they failed to muster a single effort on goal.
But Real’s masterclass had started far earlier, with Vinicius, Jude Bellingham, and Rodrigo giving Barcelona’s defense, which was fielding an incredibly high line, all kinds of difficulty.
Real waited seven minutes to score, but Bellingham’s wonderful assist made it possible.
Despite having three players encircling him at the halfway line, the England midfielder still managed to find Vinicius with a fantastic pass, who easily tricked the goalie by taking the ball in stride and placing it into the empty net.
Federico Valverde raced to the ball, made a fantastic pass to Rodrigo, whose point-blank drive was expertly stopped by goalkeeper Iñaki Peña, and Real lost a great opportunity to expand their advantage.
Another long ball from Dani Carvajal found Rodrigo in the right channel for Real’s second goal. In the tenth minute, he charged into the box and squared the ball into the penalty area for a tap-in from Vinicius.
Ferran Torres’ half-volley against the crossbar gave Barcelona a fast response, but goalie Andriy Lunin made a great save to save Robert Lewandowski’s follow-up shot.
However, Barca showed tenacity and were able to cut the lead in the 33rd minute thanks to a beautiful Lewandowski goal off another rebound.
Aurelien Tchouameni’s pass to Vinicius Junior gave Barca the advantage, but the defender Araujo grabbed him as he tried to get a jump on the ball. Vinicius took the penalty and scored to the right of the goalie in the 39th minute with a crisp finish.
Real Madrid dominated the second half as Rodrigo scored the fourth goal off a rebound in the 64th minute, dealing a blow to Barcelona.
The loss will put more strain on Barca manager Xavi, who has been under fire from supporters and the media for the team’s performance. Real Madrid
With 41 points, they are eighth behind leader Girona and seventh behind Real Madrid in the La Liga rankings.
Xavi said at a press conference, “We haven’t shown the level needed for a match like this.””
“We gave the game our all. We never felt at ease. Madrid wounded us by counterattacking. We struggled to compete and displayed our ugliest sides; therefore, I apologize to the supporters.” Real Madrid
