Gavi, with a goal and two assists, was the figure of a Clásico that is worth Xavi’s first title
MADRID, 15 (EUROPA PRESS)
FC Barcelona won the Spanish Super Cup this Sunday after beating Real Madrid (1-3) in the final played at the King Fahd International (Saudi Arabia), after a clash that Xavi Hernández’s men dominated from start to finish to take the first title of the season to Barcelona and put an end to the white idyll in the finals.
In the second Clásico of the season, after the league that Madrid signed up for (3-1) last October at the Santiago Bernabéu, Barcelona learned from their mistakes to subdue an unknown white team that they had no chance of revalidating. title. Gavi’s sensational game, with a goal and two assists, was key to uncovering the bad physical and playing moment of the eternal rival, who also looks from behind in the League to a Barça that brought out its best version in the best setting.
The goals from Gavi and Lewandowski, in the first half, and Pedri, already in the second, with a lot of collaboration from the rival defense, gave Barça a title that they had not tasted since the 2021 Copa del Rey. At that time, Koeman ran the culé bench and Leo Messi was still a Barça player. Therefore, in addition to being the first title since the Argentine left, Xavi Hernández premiered his record as a coach since his arrival in November 2021.
At the King Fahd International, Carlo Ancelotti’s team opted for advanced pressure that at times drowned out the culé ball. Even so, the idea of the Terrassa coach to put four midfielders, as in the Metropolitan, and place Araujo in the right lane to stop Vinicius ended up paying off in the form of possession and goals.
Lewandowski faked the first chance of the game after a header that went wide, but the real danger came on the next occasion when the attacker put Thibaut Courtois to the test. The Belgian goalkeeper showed a miraculous hand to the shot from the edge of the Pole to end up crashing the ball into the post. Although Benzema had the madridistas’ reply in his head, his shot also went over the crossbar.
Frantic start of the clash that initially left an exchange of blows as if it were a boxing match. Precisely in one of them Barcelona found the prize of the goal after an error by the Madrid defense. Rüdiger gave away a ball up front that Lewandowski ended up filtering for Gavi inside the area. The youth player put together a left-footed shot to beat Courtois and sign the 0-1.
Good minutes from the culé team that did not stop trying again and again against a Real Madrid unable to react. Inaccurate in defense and missing in attack, Carlo Ancelotti’s team couldn’t do anything other than watch how the Catalans put the second before the break. Unlike in the first, this time it was Gavi who put a ball on a tray for Lewandowski to sentence before the end of the first half.
The Italian coach decided to move the bench after the restart to bring on Rodrygo to the detriment of a much outmatched Camavinga. Even so, the good work of Barcelona was a slab for the fragile white defense. Once again Courtois came to the rescue with another merit save to Dembélé, who looked for the cross shot, but ran into the saving foot of the Belgian goalkeeper.
Unlike many occasions this season, this time Xavi Hernández’s team was able to save the result and even extend it after an offensive football recital. Thus, before the 70 minute mark was up, Gavi took advantage of another error in the circulation of the Madrid ball to place a measured cross to the far post where Pedri only had to push it.
Third blow from Barcelona, who, aware of his income, opted for a more conservative type of game in the final moments. Real Madrid wanted to take advantage of it and although they warned first with a good shot from Rodrygo that Ter Stegen covered, they found the prize at the last minute of discount with a goal from Benzema that without significance in the result only served to make up the bad image shown during the ninety minutes past.
DATASHEET:
–RESULT: REAL MADRID, 1 – FC BARCELONA, 3. (0-2, at halftime).
–LINE-UPS.
REAL MADRID: Courtois; Carvajal (Nacho, min.72), Militao, Rüdiger, Mendy; Camavinga (Rodrygo, min.46), Kroos (Asensio, min.72), Modric (Ceballos, min.65); Valverde, Benzema and Vinicius.
FC BARCELONA: Ter Stegen; Thunder (Eric Garcia, min.86), Kound, Christensen, Bucket; De Jong (Kessie, 86th minute), Busquets, Pedri (Sergi Roberto, 90th minute), Gavi (Ansu Fati, 89th minute); Dembele (Raphinha, min.78) and Lewandowski.
–GOALS.
0-1. Min.33, Gavi.
0-2. Min.45, Lewandowski.
0-3. Min.69, Pedri.
1-3. Min.93, Benzema.
–REFEREE: De Burgos Bengoetxea (C.Vasco). He admonished Mendy (min.32) and Valverde (min.82) by Real Madrid. And to Christensen (min.49) and Araujo (min.68) in Barcelona.
–ESTADIO: King Fahd International.