The air in Jeddah was thick, heavy with the kind of humidity that makes a football shirt feel like lead. Honestly, if you weren't watching the Supercopa de España final on January 11, 2026, you missed the moment the Hansi Flick era at Barcelona stopped being a "project" and became a problem for the rest of Europe. It wasn't just a win. It was a 3-2 statement.
Everyone expected a chess match between Flick and Xabi Alonso. What we got was a street fight.
Madrid came in looking like the heavyweights they are. Xabi Alonso’s side has that "Real Madrid DNA"—that weird ability to look like they’re losing right until they’ve won. But Barca? They played with a chip on their shoulder that was almost visible from the nosebleed seats.
The Chaos of That First Half
The Real Madrid vs FC Barcelona match started with Madrid trying to suck the life out of the ball. They sat deep. They dared Lamine Yamal to beat them. For about 30 minutes, it sort of worked. Then Raphinha decided he didn't care about the script.
In the 36th minute, Fermin Lopez—who has basically become the heartbeat of this midfield—found Raphinha with a pass that sliced through Madrid’s back four. 1-0. Simple. Except nothing in El Clasico is ever simple.
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The end of that first half was pure, unadulterated madness. I’ve seen some chaotic injury times, but three goals in five minutes? That's not football; that's a fever dream.
- Vinícius Júnior reminded everyone why he’s a Ballon d'Or contender by nutmegging Jules Koundé and burying an equalizer at 45+2.
- Robert Lewandowski immediately responded at 45+4, dinking the ball over Thibaut Courtois like he was playing in his backyard.
- Gonzalo García, the Madrid youngster who is quickly becoming Xabi’s favorite wildcard, scrambled a rebound home at 45+6.
2-2 at the break. The stadium was vibrating. You could see the exhaustion on the players' faces, but the intensity didn't drop a single percent.
Raphinha and the "Lucky" Deflection
The second half was different. It was grittier. Xabi Alonso threw on Kylian Mbappé around the 75-minute mark, hoping the Frenchman’s presence alone would scare the Barca youngsters. Mbappé was coming off a knee injury, and you could tell. He looked half a step slow, which, for a guy like him, means he’s only "regular fast" instead of "teleporting fast."
The winner came in the 73rd minute. Raphinha took a shot that honestly might have gone wide, but it clipped Raúl Asencio. The ball looped up, defied gravity for a second, and dropped behind a stranded Courtois. 3-2.
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Barca fans call it "tactical brilliance." Madrid fans call it a "fluke." Truth is, Raphinha has been the most consistent player in Spain this season, and sometimes the ball just rewards the guy who runs the hardest.
The Frenkie de Jong Red Card and the Araujo Factor
If the goals were the meat of the game, the ending was the seasoning. High-stakes drama.
Frenkie de Jong saw red in stoppage time for a professional foul on Mbappé. It was one of those "take one for the team" moments that managers love but fans hate to watch. Suddenly, Barcelona were down to 10 men with five minutes of injury time left.
Then came the moment that actually mattered more than the trophy for many Culers. Ronald Araujo, who had been away on a mental health break for nearly seven weeks, stepped onto the pitch. Hansi Flick brought him on to survive the final siege.
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Madrid threw everything at them. Álvaro Carreras had a point-blank header. Raúl Asencio nearly redeemed his own goal. But Joan Garcia—Barca’s new wall in goal—pulled off a double save that felt like it lasted an hour. When the whistle blew, the Barcelona players didn't just celebrate the 16th Super Cup; they surrounded Araujo. It was heavy stuff.
What This Real Madrid vs FC Barcelona Match Changes
If you look at the La Liga table right now, things are tight. Barcelona sits at the top with 49 points, but Madrid is breathing down their necks with 48. This win in Saudi Arabia wasn't just about a trophy that most people forget by May. It was about psychological warfare.
- Hansi Flick has Xabi Alonso’s number. That’s five wins in the last six Clasicos for Barca. That kind of trend gets inside a locker room.
- The Mbappé Integration. There’s a lot of talk about Mbappé’s attitude post-match. Reports from Spanish outlets like Sport suggest he was visibly frustrated, even telling teammates to skip the guard of honor. Whether that’s just competitive anger or a deeper chemistry issue remains to be seen, but it’s a narrative that isn't going away.
- The Youth Movement. Lamine Yamal (now 18) and Pau Cubarsí aren't "prospects" anymore. They are the standard.
Moving Forward: What to Watch For
The next Real Madrid vs FC Barcelona match is set for May 10, 2026, at the Spotify Camp Nou. That game will likely decide the league title.
If you're following the title race, keep an eye on the injury reports for David Alaba and Gavi. Both teams are playing at such a high intensity that depth is becoming more important than the starting XI.
Basically, the power shift we saw in Jeddah suggests that Barcelona's "vertical" style under Flick is the perfect kryptonite for Madrid’s star-studded lineup. If Madrid can't figure out how to handle Barca's high press without leaving their center-backs exposed, May is going to be a very long month for the Merengues.
Check the schedule for the Copa del Rey quarterfinals; there's a high chance these two meet again before the league finale. If they do, expect more of the same: high lines, red cards, and goals that happen when everyone is too tired to think straight.