- Barcelona defeated Real Madrid 3-1 to win the Saudi Super Cup on Sunday
- Gavi opened the goal and provided 2 assists to Barcelona
- Karim Benzema scored a consolation for Madrid
Barcelona defeated Real Madrid 3-1 to win the Saudi Super Cup on Sunday, thanks to goals from Gavi, Robert Lewandowski, and Pedri.
They dominated Real Madrid’s bitter rivals in every way and capitalized on Madrid’s errors to score.
Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez surprised everyone by changing his 4-3-3 formation to add an extra midfielder, leaving Lewandowski up front and deploying Ronald Araujo at right back to stop Vinicius Jr.
Barcelona masterclass
Teenage sensation Gavi opened the goal and provided 2 assists to Barcelona. |PHOTO: CBS|
The Catalans produced one of their best performances in years against their bitter Clasico rivals, led by teenager Gavi, who scored himself and set up goals for Robert Lewandowski and Pedri Gonzalez.
Having enjoyed great success as a player at Barcelona, Xavi returned in November 2021. This emphatic victory comes after a summer of heavy spending, indicating that his project is on the right track.
Karim Benzema scored a late consolation for Madrid, who have struggled since the World Cup break and have fallen three points behind Barcelona in La Liga.
Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti suffered his first final defeat since 2014, as Los Blancos handed over the trophy they won last season to Barcelona, who now have a record 14 Super Cup victories.
“We knew it was a risk we had to take; we’ve lived through a period of change at the club and in the dressing room, and this will strengthen us to fight for more titles,” Barcelona captain Sergio Busquets told Movistar.
Xavi used four central midfielders, with Gavi, 18, drifting inside from a nominal starting position on the left and frequently giving Madrid right-back Dani Carvajal the slip.
Barcelona broke the tie when Busquets pressed hard after a sloppy Antonio Rudiger pass, resulting in Lewandowski’s assist for Gavi.
For the second goal, Gavi took advantage of De Jong’s pass and slid the ball across for Lewandowski to finish clinically.
“It brings a lot of confidence.”
Xavi placed an extra man in the midfield that saw Barcelona outplay Madrid.|PHOTO: CBS|
“When you see him compete like that, putting his soul out there, he’s a contagious character for the team. He has an innate capacity for leadership,” Xavi said during a press conference.
“It comes from inside him. It’s spectacular. At 18, I have said it many times, but don’t let it stop. He has no ceiling, this boy.”
The most significant blow for Madrid may be the morale boost that the victory provides for their opponents.
Although Xavi’s performance in major competitions will ultimately be judged, and Barcelona has already been eliminated from this season’s Champions League, he was overjoyed with the victory.
“It gives me a lot of calm and confidence because what we planned worked brilliantly. We beat Madrid and dominated the entire game,” Xavi said.
“I’ll take how we played from this; it’s crucial to me. Yes, the trophy, but how? (we won it).
“This season, we have three trophies to play for, which gives us confidence.”
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