Barcelona smash Real Madrid to win Spanish Super Cup

Barcelona thrashed rivals Real Madrid 5-2 in Spanish Super Cup final in Saudi Arabia on Sunday to win the first trophy of the Hansi Flick era.

Kylian Mbappe put Madrid ahead but a dominant Barcelona hit five in response before their goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny was sent off in the second half.

The Catalans were reduced to 10 men when Mbappe sped in at the other end, rounding goalkeeper Szczesny, who brought him down outside the area and after a VAR review was dismissed.

Madrid were hoping to avenge their 4-0 home defeat by Barcelona in October’s LaLiga Clasico but instead were left battered and bruised by their arch-rivals in Jeddah.

After Mbappe’s opener, Lamine Yamal levelled and Robert Lewandowski sent Barcelona ahead from the penalty spot, with Raphinha bagging a brace and Alejandro Balde also on target.

Rodrygo Goes pulled one back for Madrid with a free-kick but they could not capitalise further on their numerical advantage in a humiliating defeat for the European champions.

Barcelona manager Flick said: “I think today is a good day because we beat one of the best teams in the world, for the second time this season, Real Madrid, and this is unbelievable.

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“We won a title here and we are really happy… today is a day to look positively at this team.”

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said his team’s poor defending was the main reason for the heavy defeat.

Ancelotti said: “We defended badly and that cost us the game – they found their goals quite easily.

“We’re sad, like all our fans, it’s disappointing and we don’t have to hide that. We have to look forward, there’s nothing else we can do.”

“He was the best (Madrid player),” Ancelotti added, noting an improvement after Mbappe’s hit-and-miss start to life at the club following his switch from Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).

“We can’t always win, if we have to lose a cup, it’s better that it’s this one,” said veteran Madrid midfielder Luka Modric.

The Star