Once again, the essence of “el clasico” unfolded in Andalusia – from dynamic football and thrilling plays to remarkable goals, and inevitably, the referees took center stage in the 96th minute.

After an exhilarating 120 minutes, Barcelona reaffirmed their reign in the King’s Cup, edging past Real Madrid 3-2 in a spectacular final held at Seville’s “Cartuja”.

Hansi Flick’s side has previously triumphed over “El Clasico” with scores of 5:2 and 4:0 this season, and they demonstrated their capability to secure victory even against a formidable rival.

Having clinched their second of four potential trophies, Barcelona now pivots to the crucial remaining titles – La Liga, where they lead Real by four points, and the Champions League, with a semi-final matchup against Inter looming.

From the onset in southern Spain, Barça exhibited their trademark style, biding their time for the moment to unleash their “goal-scoring machine”…

That moment came in the 28th minute, as Lamin Jamal expertly found Pedri at the edge of the box, and the Catalan midfielder ignited the festivities in Andalusia with a stunning strike.

Flick’s team had opportunities for more goals in the first half; Real Madrid appeared disoriented, yet the scoreboard read 1:0. Then, Carlo Ancelotti introduced Kylian Mbappe, Luka Modric, and Arda Guler, shifting the game’s momentum significantly.

Real began to apply pressure, while Barcelona’s counterattacks remained a threat, leading to Real finding the net.

First, Mbappe leveled the score to 1:1 – from a free kick, helped by Barcelona’s inadequate defensive wall.

Just seven minutes later, in the 77th minute, Real surged ahead to 2:1 – Guler netted from a corner, with Aurelien Choumaney scoring with a header.

When Barcelona found themselves in a bind this season, Ferran Torres typically answered the call – Hansi Flick’s game-changing substitute capitalized on a splendid pass from Jamal and took advantage of poor reactions from Antonio Rudiger and Thibaut Courtois to equalize at 2:2.

This “el clasico” began with heightened tensions and significant pressure on referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoecea, who was visibly emotional before the match, and then awarded a penalty to Barcelona in the 96th minute following Raul Asensio’s challenge on Rafinha.

However, prompted by a VAR review, Bengoecea altered his ruling and the match progressed into extra time.

“In my view, it was a penalty; I don’t see a clear and obvious mistake by the referee,” remarked former referee Alfonso Perez Burul to Marca.

For an extended period, it appeared that the match would remain undecided in the extra half-hour, until Zhi Luo Kunde’s “arrow” struck following a lapse from Luka Modrić and Braim Dias, sealing the final outcome.

Following their Spanish Super Cup win, Barça secures their second trophy of the season and continues to dream of achieving a historic quadruple.

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