Barça's Copa del Rey win shows Madrid have more to worry about than referees

SEVILLE, Spain -- Jules Koundé was Barcelona's improbable leader arsenic they came from down to bushed Real Madrid 3-2 aft extra-time astatine La Cartuja connected Saturday to triumph the Copa del Rey aft a gruelling Clásico battle.

With penalties looming, Koundé intercepted a stray walk successful the 116th infinitesimal and fired a debased effort into the bottommost country to seal what Barça anticipation volition beryllium the archetypal trophy of a imaginable treble this season.

Madrid had earlier travel from down themselves, with substitute Kylian Mbappé and Aurélien Tchouaméni each scoring successful 7 second-half minutes to cancel retired Pedri's first-half opener.

However, Ferran Torres rounded Thibaut Courtois successful the 84th infinitesimal to nonstop the crippled into extra-time, though not earlier referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea had overturned his archetypal determination to grant a stoppage-time punishment for Raúl Asencio's situation connected Raphinha.

Barça anticipation LaLiga and the UEFA Champions League volition follow, though Madrid whitethorn person thing to accidental astir the league. The teams conscionable again astatine the Olympic Stadium connected May 11 successful a lucifer which could perchance determine the title.

Ref play peaks with 96th-minute punishment call

There was lone 1 warrant going into this final: that referee Bengoetxea and VAR Pablo González Fuertes would beryllium subjected to an unprecedented grade of scrutiny and scepticism, from a Real Madrid perspective. That overmuch was assured by Friday's pre-game hysteria, erstwhile De Burgos' quality league tears -- and much importantly, González's informing of "measures" to beryllium taken by referees implicit Real Madrid TV's videos -- were followed by Madrid's skipping of the pre-match formalities, and suggestions they were considering boycotting the last itself. Madrid aboriginal denied those "rumours" but slammed the "hostility and animosity" they said the officials had shown towards the club. So naturally, from the infinitesimal De Burgos stepped retired onto the transportation astatine La Cartuja -- and González into the VAR booth -- each decision, whether arguable oregon not, was viewed done that prism.

In the archetypal half, determination were nary huge, match-turning refereeing calls; but arsenic always, determination were a fig of decisions fiercely contested by some sides. In the 16th minute, the shot struck Federico Valverde's manus wrong the box. De Burgos waved distant Barcelona's punishment appeals. Barcelona were unhappy erstwhile Dani Ceballos wasn't booked for a situation connected Lamine Yamal, and erstwhile Tchouameni got a yellowish card, alternatively than a red, for a foul connected Dani Olmo. Ceballos went unpunished for a clash with Yamal, and past was fortunate again successful the 43rd minute, erstwhile nary enactment was taken for a garment propulsion connected Pau Cubarsí.

But each that was conscionable a prelude to what happened overmuch later, successful added time. In the 96th infinitesimal -- seconds near connected the timepiece -- Raphinha appeared to beryllium brought down by Raul Asencio. Penalty. Barcelona's players and fans were ecstatic. Here was the accidental for the winner, with nary clip for a reply. But then, a agelong VAR check. González Fuertes called De Burgos crossed to instrumentality different look astatine the incidental connected the pitch-side monitor. After moments of unbearable tension, De Burgos signalled for the grant to beryllium overturned. In existent time, it had looked similar a spot kick; replays suggested Raphinha had gone to crushed easily. Here was that perchance match-defining moment, and it had gone successful Real Madrid's favour.

Koundé's extra-time victor meant the result was unchanged, and Madrid's players ended the last aggravated astatine De Burgos, anyway. Rudiger -- substituted minutes earlier -- was dismissed for throwing an entity onto the pitch, Lucas Vázquez was reddish carded too, portion unit had to forestall Jude Bellingham and others from confronting De Burgos. One cardinal determination going Madrid's mode won't alteration anything. Too overmuch has been said and done, and Madrid's demands for root-and-branch betterment of refereeing successful Spain won't spell away.

Flick's Clásico domination

Barcelona mislaid each 3 Clásicos past season. They person won each 3 nether Hansi Flick this twelvemonth -- and there's 1 much to travel successful 2 weeks. This was not the 4-0 rout of the Bernabéu successful October oregon the 5-2 hammering successful the Spanish Supercopa last successful January, but it whitethorn person been each the much sweeter for the mode it unfolded.

As they person done repeatedly this play -- against Benfica, Atlético Madrid, Celta Vigo past week -- Barça showed resilience to conflict backmost from a losing presumption to triumph the match. That Madrid were truthful adjacent lone to person had it snatched distant from them made the celebrations among the 26,000 Barça supporters who had travelled to Seville other special.

Barça dominated the aboriginal exchanges and were bully worth for their lead, fixed to them by Pedri's sublime onslaught from the borderline of the container successful the 28th minute. They struggled nether immoderate aggravated Madrid unit astatine the commencement of the 2nd period, portion they besides missed immoderate chances to termination the crippled off, but they responded good to going behind.

Flick identified the anemic links, removing left-back Gerard Martín and injecting much vigor done Gavi, and Barça were the amended broadside successful extra-time. Torres came adjacent to a 2nd and Fermín López besides had a accidental to clinch the victory, but the honours, conscionable arsenic penalties seemed a given, belonged to right-back Kounde, who wrote himself into past by scoring the extremity which won Barça's 32nd Copa del Rey trophy.

It's been rather a singular turnaround from Flick, fixed however it was Madrid dishing retired the hammer blows successful Clásicos past play with precocious goals. There is simply a content streaming done this Barça team, who person mislaid conscionable erstwhile successful 2025, and you felt it among the fans successful Seville, too.

Flick has said "it's OK to dream" and they are surely dreaming of a 3rd treble since 2009. Next up is the archetypal limb of their Champions League semifinal against Internazionale, portion they person a four-point vantage implicit Madrid astatine the apical of LaLiga.

Off the bench, Mbappé changes the game

Walking into La Cartuja pre-match, conscionable disconnected the Madrid squad bus, Kylian Mbappe looked thing but happy. His question was tentative, his facial look solemn. This was not the assemblage connection of a subordinate excited to beryllium taking portion successful their archetypal Copa del Rey final. Real Madrid's starting XI had already been announced, and Mbappé wasn't successful it, judged not to person recovered from a sprained ankle suffered 10 days ago.

In his absence, Madrid brag Carlo Ancelotti picked Vinícius Júnior arsenic a lone forward, with Bellingham down him, and Rodrygo retired wide. And successful the archetypal half, Madrid offered precise small attacking threat. They had conscionable 1 shot, Fran García's blocked effort, for an xG (expected goals) of 0.06. Just once, not agelong earlier half-time, Vinícius got successful behind, and was brought down successful the box, lone for the offside emblem to prevention Barça. By then, Mbappé was already warming up connected the touchline. He continued during the break, and erstwhile the teams were backmost retired for the 2nd half, Mbappé was among them.

Madrid improved immediately. They soon had their champion accidental of the game, Vinicius denied by Wojciech Szczęsny. Five minutes later, Mbappé had his archetypal show of goal, twisting the Barcelona defence successful knots earlier Szczesny -- who had rapidly closed him down, narrowing the angles -- saved again. But determination was nary redeeming Mbappé's escaped footwear successful the 70th minute. It came aft the crippled had opened up, Madrid committing much players guardant -- Ancelotti introducing Luka Modric and Arda Güler -- and the squad was overmuch little cautious astir leaving Barça abstraction to exploit. In that environment, Mbappé was thriving. In connected extremity aft a clever nutmeg, fouled by Frenkie de Jong, helium stepped up to people the archetypal nonstop escaped footwear of his career.

Madrid person played successful 4 finals this season: the UEFA Super Cup, the FIFA Intercontinental Cup, the Spanish Supercopa and present the Copa del Rey. Mbappé has scored successful each of them. He mightiness not person delivered erstwhile it mattered successful the Champions League, and successful galore ways, his summation has unbalanced this team. But helium remains an elite subordinate with bonzer endowment who -- successful the close system, successful the close circumstances -- tin beryllium a occurrence astatine Real Madrid, adjacent if this play ends successful disappointment.

Barça's fearless youngsters

Barça defender Ronald Araújo said earlier this crippled that helium has been amazed by the fearlessness the young players successful the squad person shown since stepping up to the archetypal team. That nervus was erstwhile again connected amusement successful Seville. If anyone thought they whitethorn wilt erstwhile these decisive games came astir astatine the extremity of the season, they were erstwhile again proven wrong.

The archetypal fractional was controlled by 22-year-old Pedri. He fed 17-year-old Yamal, sporting a new, blond hairstyle for the occasion, and past raced to the different extremity of the transportation to get connected the extremity of Yamal's pull-back to unfastened the scoring. It was his sixth extremity of the season, but his archetypal since the semifinal archetypal limb against Atlético Madrid backmost successful February. He could not person timed it better. Pedri struggled a small spot with the physicality aft the interruption and was taken off, exhausted, successful extra-time, but it was different show to fortify the increasing whispers of a Ballon d'Or win.

Barça's archetypal extremity had really been calved from a good interception from 18-year-old defender Cubarsí. He was superb with and without the ball, portion his aged younker squad teammate Yamal acceptable up 2 of the 3 goals. The Spain winger has present clocked up 24 assists this campaign.

At 25, Torres whitethorn consciousness similar 1 of the veterans of this squad astatine times. But helium besides has years up of him. This has been his contention successful galore ways. His extremity was his sixth extremity successful the Copa, much than anyone else, and with Robert Lewandowski missing with a hamstring wounded helium was again proved a much than susceptible replacement done the middle.

What adjacent for Real Madrid?

Madrid's defeats to Barcelona have, successful galore ways, defined their season. The 4-0 league nonaccomplishment successful October meant Barça had an aboriginal precocious manus successful the rubric race. The 5-2 Supercopa thrashing successful January was a wake-up telephone and confirmation that, successful a head-to-head contest, Barça were connected different level. But Saturday's gathering was different. Madrid responded good successful the 2nd half, taking the lead, and staying successful the crippled each the mode until Koundé's winning extremity successful extra-time. The team's cognition was impressive. There was nary feeling of inertia, nary proposition of a play slipping away. Madrid were inactive successful the fight. But ultimately, missing retired connected the trophy is different disappointment, coming conscionable 10 days aft being knocked retired of the Champions League.

There's inactive a league rubric contention to conclude. Madrid are 4 points down Barcelona with 5 games left, and 1 past Clásico to travel connected May 11. This second-half show was encouraging, though it remains to beryllium seen if the squad tin prime themselves up erstwhile again and nutrient successful LaLiga, starting with a pugnacious crippled against Celta Vigo adjacent weekend. If, arsenic looks astir likely, Madrid neglect to overhaul Barcelona successful the league, they volition extremity the play without a large trophy. And astatine Real Madrid, doing that invariably leads to the manager being fired. Ancelotti has insisted that immoderate determination volition beryllium made astatine the extremity of the campaign, but losing this last -- astir careless of the show -- is different statement successful favour of change.