Summary of the Super Cup final: Real Madrid - Barcelona 3:1 (Sport1)
It was a defining victory for Barcelona in the El Clasico, perhaps Xavi's most important victory in a tenure that began more than a year ago.
This is not the first time he has beaten Real Madrid as Barca coach, and the 0:4 result at the Santiago Bernabeu last March was higher than the 1:3 yesterday.
However, then it was a kind of garbage time in the league, when the championship fight was already decided in fact, and the stumble did not overly worry Carlo Ancelotti's group.
The Whites, who even wore black on that unfortunate evening for them, simply ignored the game and continued as if nothing had happened - not only on the way to secure the top in Spain, but also to win the Champions League.
Yesterday it was different.
Although it is a super coupe, meaning a less prestigious factory, a direct battle for the title can never be marginal when it comes to a classic.
While Barca lead the table following Real's loss to Villarreal in the first round of 2023, there was also symbolic importance here.
There was a feeling in the air that a Catalan achievement would give them a boost in the new year and make them favorites in the fight for the crown.
In practice, the victory was so overwhelming and convincing that it became a fait accompli.
There is still a very long way to go before a decision is made in May, but the Blaugrana's morale advantage is indisputable.
Barcelona feels on the horse, racing on the right track, because it beat Real in its traditional way.
Gabi starred, Barcelona beat Real Madrid 1:3 and won the Super Cup .
Barcelona celebrated their first title in the Xavi era: "We're on the right track" In
Spain, Real were criticized for "free parachuting".
Ancelotti: "Difficult moment"
An old victory.
Gabi and Pedri lift the trophy (Photo: Reuters)
The quartet at the Bernabeu about 10 months ago was cheerful, but then Barca often beat Real in bursts, allowing them to control the ball for a long time.
Not this time.
Their supremacy over the Catalans in the center of the field was absolute in this final, especially in the first half where the champion barely managed to connect two passes.
It was absolute control, as in the most glorious victories of Xavi and Andres Iniesta.
It may have been Xavi's best half as a coach, and it was achieved partly thanks to the surprises he prepared for Ancelotti in the formation.
The lineup itself was predictable, but the position of the players on the field less so.
Instead of slotting Pedri as a kind of dummy winger, as Xavi sometimes used to do, Gabi was sent to a much more distinct left winger position.
He spent a significant part of the time there, when the goal was clear - to hurt as much as possible Dani Carvajal, Real's right back, who was marked as the weak link.
It worked perfectly, because Gabi recorded a goal and an assist in a perfect first half for him - the statistical balance even included two high balls in which he won against taller and stronger opponents.
When Gabi got ahead of Carvajal and found himself free and happy in front of Thibaut Courtois after Robert Lewandowski's pass, he scored his first Clasico goal.
Except he's not really the first.
Barcelona fans remember very well that the prodigy made the first headlines in his life at the age of 12, thanks to a brilliant pair he scored against Real in the micro-classic.
He has since been labeled a potential superstar, and the wait for his breakthrough has been exciting.
Now, while he has been shining on the big stage for a year and a half, it is even more exciting - and yesterday (Sunday) his skills were even presented in a slightly different light.
Gabi managed not only to play as a winger, but also moved to the center of the field when he saw fit, and was part of a show that reminded a bit of the utopian Total Football.
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Shine after shine.
Xavi celebrates (Photo: Reuters)
When there is a wide range of versatile stars, it is easy for them to switch places between them, and Barca's midfielders found themselves in more free roles than usual yesterday.
As far as Pedri is concerned, this is nothing new, but Frankie De Jong will be placed in a relatively withdrawn position.
From there he sent the wonderful deep ball to Gabi who made it 0:2 for Lewandowski and sealed the tremendous first half.
This team move started with Sergio Busquets, who also contributed a lot in the construction of the first goal, joined the attacks with a relatively high frequency for him thanks to the support he received from his Dutch friend, and even almost provided an assist himself in the second half.
When the entire Busquets-de Jong-Pedri-Gabi quartet functions in harmony, the confrontation against them is extremely difficult, and Real experienced it firsthand - their link completely disappeared before the break.
Things got a little better for her in the second half, when Eduardo Camabinga was replaced and Federico Valverde was brought to the winger's position in the center of the pitch, but it still didn't help enough - and Gabi scored the third goal for Federico to make the result truly spectacular.
At this point, you could imagine Barcelona rushing to Manita as well, but she took her foot off the pedal a bit, and enjoyed moving the ball even without risking the goal.
His performance devoured the cards.
Araujo (Photo: Reuters)
Even in the back, Xavi went for a slightly less predictable placement, when he placed Ronald Araujo as a right back and Jules Conde as a stopper - that is, the opposite compared to their positions in the league victory over Atlético Madrid.
The goal was to put more physical pressure on Vinicius through the Uruguayan - and it worked wonderfully.
In addition, Araujo also regularly ran into attacks, a fundamentally different style to Conde's, while on the left wing Alejandro Balda also showed great ability.
Here, too, everything came together, and Barcelona can develop expectations that this excellent game will continue for a long time.
A great show of this kind contributes a lot to the self-confidence of the players, and along the way they also won the title - Xavi's first as Barcelona coach.
This also has significance, and it was not for nothing that President Juan Laforte was quick to declare: "This title will be the first of many."
He marks the championship as the immediate goal, and here the elimination from the Champions League in the group stage may help the Catalans to concentrate on one central task - even if winning the Europa League would certainly be a most welcome addition, and the meetings against Eric ten Haag's Manchester United in February may be a treat for any football fan.
As for Real, Karim Benzema's last kick goal in injury time was reminiscent of Oscar's goal that prevented Brazil's 7:0 defeat by Germany in the 2014 World Cup semi-finals. It made the result more tolerable, but it didn't make anyone happy.
The champion would like to forget this fiasco very quickly, as she did after being defeated in the Clásico in March, but this time it will be much more difficult.
The Madrid players looked heavy and tired yesterday - which is nothing new in recent weeks.
While Barcelona is developing positive momentum, Real is fading, and a very fundamental mental change is required as soon as possible in order not to lose this season completely.
Will Ancelotti's relaxed attitude help with this?
We can get part of the answer already on Thursday, when Real will host Villarreal again, this time as part of the King's Cup.
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