Barcelona’s title drought with coach Xavi — and with out Lionel Messi — is lastly over.
Barcelona beat Real Madrid 3-1 on Sunday to win the Spanish Super Cup at Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and provides its followers causes to have fun once more after a revamping course of that started following Messi’s departure for Paris Saint-Germain and the arrival of former participant Xavi as coach in 2021.
“We’ve been through some tough years, with financial difficulties, Messi’s departure,” Xavi stated. “It was not easy to bring back a positive dynamic. This will help give us some tranquility. We’ve been working hard from the beginning despite all the criticism, and we have to keep working.”
Barcelona had not lifted a trophy since the 2021 Copa del Rey under former coach Ronald Koeman. That was Messi’s 35th and final title with Barcelona before leaving amid the club’s financial struggles.
Robert Lewandowski, Gavi and Pedri scored a goal each in the final at King Fahd Stadium to give Barcelona its first Super Cup trophy since 2018 — and its 14th overall — and the first since the tournament began being played in a Final Four format in 2020 in a lucrative deal for the Spanish soccer federation.
Gavi opened the scoring in the 33rd minute from close range after a pass by Lewandowski, who doubled the lead after an assist by Gavi in a breakaway just before the end of the first half. Gavi also set up Pedri’s close-range goal in another breakaway in the 69th.
Karim Benzema scored for Madrid late in stoppage time.
“We knew we couldn’t miss this opportunity,” Barcelona captain Sergio Busquets stated. “We’ve been going through changes at the club and I think this triumph will make us stronger and allow us to keep competing, keep growing and keep fighting for titles.
“It’s clear that at Barça you always have to win,” Busquets stated. “We knew it was going to be like that after Xavi arrived, and now we finally have been able to do it.”
Madrid was making an attempt to win its second consecutive Super Cup title in Saudi Arabia, and equal Barcelona’s document of 13 Super Cup trophies.
“It’s a tough loss and we have to learn from it,” Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti stated. “We will improve and bounce back from it.”
Madrid eradicated Barcelona in final season’s semifinals, however the Spanish powerhouses had by no means met within the closing of the revamped competitors.
Both groups wanted penalty shootouts to edge their opponents within the semifinals. Madrid beat Valencia and Barcelona defeated Real Betis.
Madrid beat Barcelona 3-1 at dwelling within the first “clásico” of the season on the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium within the Spanish league in October. It trails Barcelona by three factors within the league this season.
The Super Cup was performed between the Spanish league champion and the Copa del Rey winner. Now the runners-up in each competitions additionally take part. Madrid performed because the league champion and Barcelona because the league runner-up. Betis received the Copa title over Valencia final season.
The present contract to play the Super Cup in Saudi Arabia runs via the 2024-25 season regardless of criticism over the nation’s human rights document.
ATLÉTICO HELD IN LEAGUE
Atlético Madrid was held to a 1-1 draw at Almería within the Spanish league, staying in fourth place and tied on factors with fifth-place Villarreal and sixth-place Real Betis.
Ángel Correa put Atlético forward within the 18th however El Bilal Touré equalized for the hosts within the thirty seventh. Atlético defender Sergio Reguilón entered the match instead within the 67th however was despatched off with consecutive yellow playing cards within the 89th.
Atlético was coming off a 1-0 dwelling loss to chief Barcelona, which is 13 factors forward of Atlético.
Almería, winless in three straight league video games, stayed in thirteenth place.
Earlier Sunday, Espanyol moved farther from the relegation zone with a 2-1 win at Getafe, with Joselu scoring the opening purpose for the hosts with a shot from close to the midway line because the Getafe goalkeeper acquired caught out of place.
Defending league champion Madrid is in second place and Real Sociedad, which beat Athletic Bilbao 3-1 within the Basque Country derby on Saturday, is third.
This story has been revealed from a wire company feed with out modifications to the textual content. Only the headline has been modified.
