RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Barcelona won the Spanish Super Cup for the first time since the competition was revamped and moved to Saudi Arabia with a 3-1 victory over Real Madrid.
Robert Lewandowski, Gavi and Pedri scored a goal each at King Fahd Stadium in Riyadh 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.
It was also Barcelona´s first title since former player Xavi took over as the team´s coach in 2021, and since Lionel Messi left for Paris Saint-Germain, AP reported.
The Super Cup used to be played between the Spanish league champion and the Copa del Rey winner.
Now the runners-up in both competitions also participate. Madrid played as the league champion and Barcelona as the league runner-up. Betis won the Copa title over Valencia last season.
The current contract to play the Super Cup in Saudi Arabia runs through the 2024-25 season.
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.
Madrid was trying to win its second consecutive Super Cup title in Saudi Arabia, and equal Barcelona’s record of 13 Super Cup trophies.
Madrid eliminated Barcelona in last season´s semi-finals, but the Spanish powerhouses had never met in the final of the revamped competition.
Both teams needed penalty shootouts to edge their opponents in the semifinals. Madrid beat Valencia and Barcelona defeated Real Betis.
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.
Madrid beat Barcelona 3-1 at home in the first “clasico” of the season at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in the Spanish league in October.
ATLETICO HELD IN LEAGUE
Atletico Madrid was held to 1-1 draw by Almeria in La Liga in another disappointing showing for Diego Simeone’s team who ended the match with 10 men after Sergio Reguilon was sent off in the dying minutes.
Atletico, who have won only one of their last six La Liga games, are fourth in the standings on 28 points, level with Villarreal and Real Betis. They are 13 points adrift of leaders Barcelona, who have a game in hand.
Almeria was arguably the better side for most of the match and climbed to 13th, three points clear of the relegation zone.
Atletico started well and Angel Correa gave them the lead in the 18th minute.
Antoine Griezmann dummied, allowing Correa to ghost in behind and score with a left-footed strike between the goalkeeper´s legs.
Atletico had an effort ruled out a few minutes later after Geoffrey Kondogbia touched Marcos Llorente’s goal-bound shot over the line when he was standing in an offside position.
Almeria then began to take control and levelled in the 37th minute with a delightful diving header by El Bilal Toure from a long cross by Lucas Robertone.
Toure almost gave Almeria the lead early in the second half but his close-range shot was blocked by a defender near the goalline.
Atletico had two chances to score from counter-attacks but Fernando Martinez made a couple of miraculous saves from point-blank shots by Alvaro Morata and Correa in the 73rd and 75th minutes, firing up the home crowd who were chanting their goalkeeper´s name.
“They grew and scored on their first clear chance in the first-half, we kept trying after the break but their goalkeeper had a great performance,” Atletico manager Simeone told DAZN according to Reuters.
“We need to be more effective up front. Let’s wait for the goals to come, I’m sure they will.”
Atletico played with 10 men for the last few minutes after substitute Reguilon was shown a second yellow card for raising his forearm to an opponent’s face in an aerial challenge.
