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Toni Kross had to chase more than he would like.
Here he was at a disadvantage against Pedri
Photo:
Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images
Brother light foot:
At the beginning of his career, Antonio Rüdiger was always good for a mistake.
An exaggerated foul here, a lax pass there.
Those times are actually over, meanwhile Rüdiger no longer plays for VfB Stuttgart in Swabia, but directs the defense of Champions League winners Real Madrid.
But in the final of the Spanish Supercup, the German national player threw in one of the rare Rüdiger moments when he passed Eduardo Camavinga in the 33rd minute.
The Frenchman was not ready to pass, he had Sergio Busquets behind him, who was already waiting for Rüdiger's pass.
Busquets then served Robert Lewandowski, who put across to Gavi, who made it 1-0.
The carelessness matched the pomade appearance of the Madrilenians.
The result:
FC Barcelona defeated Real Madrid 3-1 (2-0) and thus secured the Spanish Super Cup, which was held in Riyadh in Saudi Arabia, for the 14th time.
The title is secondary, but the game is also a pointer towards the Spanish championship.
Barcelona leads the table there, three points ahead of Real.
The first half:
Barcelona made the game, put Real under pressure early on.
Real goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois deflected Lewandowski's first shot to the post, but then he was powerless to stop Gavi's goal.
Shortly before the half, Gavi and Lewandowski were in focus again, this time the young Spaniard served the former Bayern attacker, who easily made it 2-0 (45th minute).
Battery empty:
In contrast to Germany, there are not only two teams in the Spanish Supercup, but four.
In addition to the two cup finalists, the two best-placed teams in the league that did not make it to the cup final also play.
Real Betis Sevilla and FC Valencia faced each other in the 2022 cup final, with Real winning the league ahead of Barça.
In the semi-finals of the Supercup, Real faced Valencia, while Sevilla played against Barcelona.
Both games were decided on penalties.
FC Barcelona coped with these hardships much better than the Spanish champions, who seemed tired from the start.
The hub of the sports world:
The Supercup is also particularly exhausting because the Spaniards don't stay at home, but fly halfway around the world and determine their winner in Saudi Arabia.
Since 2020, this trip to the Middle East has brought fresh money into the traditionally tight coffers of Spanish clubs - and serves as the perfect advertising space for the Saudis.
The kingdom has been expanding into the world of sport for years, has its own golf league and, with Newcastle United, an English football club.
With Cristiano Ronaldo, the next attraction just switched to Saudi Arabia.
Former DFL boss Donata Hopfen also brought up the idea of hosting the German Supercup in Saudi Arabia – and received endless criticism for it.
In Spain, the cooperation with the controversial host,
The second half:
Barcelona could have decided the game early on.
But the best Madrilenian that night was in goal.
Courtois parried the attempts of Ousmane Dembelé (51st) and Lewandowski (55th) and kept his team in the game.
Real's hopes of turning the game around were dashed in the 69th minute.
Gavi freed Pedri, who pushed the ball over the line from close range.
In the third minute of added time, Real attacker Karim Benzema only scored the consolation goal.
The aging centre:
Real midfielder Modrić and Toni Kroos are 70 years old together.
In many games, they cover their waning vigor with ingenious positional play and flying balls halfway quarterback-style.
At the World Cup in Qatar, Modrić was one of the tournament's best midfielders.
But the two are no longer as resilient as they were a few years ago.
20-year-old Pedri, 18-year-old Gavi and 25-year-old Frenkie de Jong kept putting the old masters under pressure.
Modrić and Kroos were cut off from the rest of the team for much of the game and looked annoyed.
The first title:
Xavi has won the Spanish Supercup six times as a player.
Four times the Champions League, eight times the Spanish championship.
As a coach, his résumé reads a bit more modestly, with the Qatari top club al Sadd he was champion once, twice cup winner and won the Qatar Super Cup.
Now he celebrated his first title as a coach with FC Barcelona.
If the Catalans keep their current form, it won't be the last.
Everyday life:
After returning from Saudi Arabia, things continue in the Spanish Cup on Thursday.
Barcelona have a mandatory task to solve with the game at third division Ceuta.
Real, on the other hand, has to go to league competitor Villarreal – and needs a significant increase in performance to avert the next cup defeat.
