Home Sports Real Madrid beat Barcelona 3-2 and is a finalist

Real Madrid beat Barcelona 3-2 and is a finalist

El Real Madrid vence 3-2 al Barcelona y es finalista

Barcelona fought, despite not being a favorite. But in the end, it was Real Madrid that celebrated again after an exciting classic between the two powers of Spain in Saudi Arabia.

Federico Valverde scored in extra time for Madrid to defeat Barça 3-2 on Wednesday, with which he scored his hundredth victory in the Spanish football classic and reached the final of the Super Cup.

The azulgrana team sold the defeat expensive, leveling the score twice during the regulatory 90 minutes. But he could not recover after the Uruguayan Valverde scored from close range by culminating a counterattack when the eighth minute of the first overtime was played.

It was Madrid’s fifth successive victory against Barcelona, ​​something that had not happened since they had seven wins between April 1962 and February 1965.

Reigning Super Cup champions Athletic Bilbao will meet Atlético de Madrid, monarch of the Spanish League, in the other semi-final on Thursday.

The Super Cup returned to Saudi Arabia this year after the pandemic forced the previous edition to be transferred again to Spain. The tournament was moved to the Arab nation and expanded from two to four teams, with a “Final Four” format. It is part of an agreement worth $ 30 million annually ($ 34 million) per year until 2029, according to press releases.

The changes drew criticism from human rights activists and complaints from fans who prefer that the tournament remain in Spain.

In Riyadh, a collective genius in a counterattack put Madrid in the final against a more competitive Barcelona compared to the one dominated last October by the Whites, who won 2-1 in La Liga.

After entering for Luka Modric in the final stretch of regulation time, Valverde capitalized on a diagonal that Rodrygo sent from the right and that Vinícius Júnior let pass between his legs.

“We did a good job, the whole team did very well,” said Valverde. “I’m happy for the opportunity that the coach (Carlo Ancelotti) gave me in a game like this.”

In regular time, Vinícius and Karim Benzema scored for the meringues at 25 and 72 minutes, but there was a reaction to these advantages on the part of Barcelona.

Luuk de Jong and Ansu Fati, who returned to play after an absence due to injury suffered on November 6, scored the Barça goals at 41 and 83.

“In the first 20 minutes we came out with a complex, then we competed with them, we took a step forward and we were better than them,” said Xavi Hernández, the Barça coach who took the reins in November. “But we are proud, it is a game to grow”

Rodrygo threw out a counterattack that Benzema led in the overtime discounts with which he could have extended the victory.

The recent supremacy of Madrid against Barcelona has allowed it to distance itself from its archrival in the classics, which began its history on May 13, 1902. Barça were left with 96 wins and have 52 draws.

“I think we have competed very well,” said Barça defender Gerard Piqué. “It is not the result we expected. Losing against Madrid hurts, but we are closer to winning, we still need to win, we need that definitive step ”.

Vinícius opened the account with a down the left wing, in which Benzema enabled him after stealing the ball in midfield from Sergio Busquets, to finish defining with a left-footed shot up.

Luuk de Jong managed to level for the Barça for the first time, sending a shot to the nets in the small area after a bad clearance by Eder Militao. It was the third game in a row in which the Dutchman scored for the Catalans.

Benzema put the Whites back in front thanks to a shot in front of the open goal by Dani Carvajal that was barely deflected by goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen.

Fati entered the exchange at 66 and in the final stretch was decisive with his accurate header to the center of Jordi Alba that left goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois without options.

Lagging 17 points behind Madrid in the fight for the La Liga title, Barcelona gave way to the return to the field of offensive midfielder Pedri after an absence dating back to the end of September due to a muscle injury.

Forward Ferran Torres enjoyed his debut with the Catalans after arriving as a reinforcement in this winter window from Manchester City and being registered this week.

It was Xavi’s first classic as a Barcelona coach. Ronald Koeman was still on the bench during 2-1 three months ago at the Camp Nou.

Only about 30,000 spectators were allowed into the 62,000-capacity King Fahd International Stadium due to the pandemic.

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