Real Madrid cruised to victory in the final of the Spanish Super Cup on Sunday, beating longtime rivals Barcelona at Riyadh's Al -Awwal Stadium, 4-1.
The eventual victors got off to a quick stop thanks to Vinicius Junior, who scored a first-half hat trick. His first goal came in the seventh minute after he took advantage of a smart ball played by Jude Bellingham, and he doubled his side's lead just three minutes later after combining with Rodrygo. Barcelona pulled one back through Robert Lewandowski in the 33rd minute but Vinicius Junior scored a penalty in the 39th minute to give Real Madrid a 3-1 lead at halftime.
Barcelona played well to start the second half but did little in terms of taking meaningful shots, and despite having the momentum, conceded again in the 64th minute when Rodrygo scored from close range. Things went from bad to worse in the 72nd minute when Barcelona's Ronald Araujo was sent off after receiving two yellows.
The Super Cup triumph means Real Madrid pick up their first trophy of the season and Carlo Ancelotti's 11th as the manager. They remain in the thick of La Liga's title race and are also still alive in the Champions League and Copa del Rey.
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That's a wrap in Riyadh, where Real Madrid were as clinical as it gets and lift the Spanish Super Cup in the process. They dismantled Barcelona, who find themselves conceding a bunch of goals yet again and likely have to go back to the drawing board as an up-and-down season delivers a very notable low moment.
81' Barcelona might be down 4-1 with less than 10 minutes on the clock, but they do seem to have a little bit of life still in them. This time it comes courtesy of Felix, who makes his way to goal with a shot that is eventually stopped by Lunin.
72' A bad day gets worse for Barcelona after Araujo picks up a second yellow card. He was originally booked for conceding the first half penalty but kicks Vinicius Junior's ankles to receive a second yellow, and now Barcelona will have to finish this one with 10 players.
64' Barcelona may have had all the momentum, but it's Real Madrid who score. Carvajal and Valverde connect on the right flank before the latter's cross lands in the box and after one attempt to clear the ball out, the ball lands at Rodrygo's feet and he scores from close range. They're up 4-1 now, and little less than half an hour away from lifting the Super Cup.
61' Felix, Lopez and Yamal are on for Torres, Pedri and Roberto as Barcelona aim to find a way back into this game. It's still 3-1 to Real Madrid with less than half an hour on the clock.
55' We're still waiting for our first shot of the second half, but if anyone has the edge so far since halftime, it's Barcelona. They've had more of the ball, though Real Madrid seem to be comfortable sitting in with a two-goal lead.
No subs for either side at halftime.
An entertaining first half comes to a close in Riyadh with Real Madrid fully on top courtesy of Vinicius Junior's hattrick. Barcelona have been imperfect, but outshot the opposition 10 to eight and have dominated possession. Both teams have also put half of their shots on target, so if that first half is anything to go by, the second half might be just as eventful.
It was missed in the shuffle, but Barcelona assistant de la Fuente picked up a red card from the bench. El Clasico never fails to deliver!
38' Araujo pulls Vinicius Junior back in the box and concedes a penalty, and he converts from the spot to give Madrid a 3-1 lead and complete the hattrick.
33' Barcelona make their way into the box in numbers and though there's a little bit of back-and-forth, the ball falls to Lewandowski on the edge of the penalty area, and he scores a stunner on the volley. Real Madrid still lead 2-1, but it's officially game on.
26' Barcelona's latest promising attempt comes after Torres makes a dash down the right and takes a shot from an angle, which Lunin impressively saves by sticking out his foot. They're up to six shots, three on target so far today.
25' Barcelona have worked themselves back into this game, but things have clearly calmed down since the early flurry of goals from Real Madrid. Not a ton of quality shots to speak of since Vinicius Junior's second, but there's still plenty of time on the clock.
12' Barcelona are now making their way forward and Lewandowski is naturally the one who takes a shot, forcing Lunin to make a solid stop. It goes out for a corner, but Barcelona are unable to do much with it.
10' And just like that, Real Madrid are up 2-0! Rodrygo makes a stellar run down the right flank and into the box but instead of going for goal, he unselfishly sent it to Vinicius Junior, who makes no mistake from close range.
7' Vinicius Junior recieves a well-placed pass in the box and is able to score from an angle for his fourth goal in a Clasico. They're up 1-0 on Barcelona.
The latest edition of El Clasico is officially underway in Riyadh, and hopefully an entertaining match awaits.
While you wait for the latest edition of El Clasico to begin, take a few minutes to recap Real Madrid's entertaining win over Atleti, complete with golazos and own goals.
After Real Madrid's 5-3 win over Atleti, the Morning Footy crew talked about a game that Darian Jenkins described as "all gas, no brakes." Here's Jenkins and Alexis Guerrero on enjoying the eight-goal thriller -- and World Cup-winning defender Ali Krieger mentioning that the back lines left a bit to be desired.
Xavi starts Pedri after Raphinha picked up a thigh injury in the team's 2-0 win over Osasuna, while Lewandowski once again leads the line. Here's how Barcelona will start the match.
Barcelona starting XI: Pena, Kounde, Araujo, Christensen, Balde, Roberto, Gundogan, de Jong, Pedri, Lewandowski, Torres
While the usual suspects Bellingham, Rodrygo and Vinicius Junior start for Real Madrid, Ancelotti has opted to make two changes from the team that won 5-3 against Atleti on Wednesday. That includes Lunin, who's in goal today instead of Arrizabalaga. Here's how they will line up
Real Madrid starting XI: Lunin, Carvajal, Rudiger, Nacho, Mendy, Valverde, Tchouameni, Kroos, Bellingham, Rodrygo, Vinicius Junior
While both teams have started the new year well, today's matchup serves as arguably the biggest test of Barcelona's mettle since the two last played in October. It has been an up-and-down journey for Xavi's team since -- they've won most of their 13 games since the loss to Real Madrid, but just once by more than a one-goal margin. It forces Chuck Booth to ask the question: Can Barcelona handle the pressure?
The Spanish Super Cup final will deliver arguably the most anticipated matchup of the weekend as longtime rivals Real Madrid and Barcelona face off in a bonus edition of El Clascio. Tag along for live updates of the big matchup, including team news.
