Barcelona beat Real Madrid to win Spanish Super Cup for 16th time
What you should know
Barcelona defended their Spanish Super Cup title by beating Real Madrid on Sunday, with coach Hansi Flick openly praising Rafinha's performance.
The Brazilian winger's two goals helped Barcelona beat Real 3-2 in the final in Saudi Arabia. Rafinha has scored seven goals in his last five games for Barcelona.
Rafinha was out for two months due to injury when Barcelona lost their rhythm in October and November. But he has now managed to make a great comeback. His goal proved decisive in this final as well.
Flick says, 'Rafinha's current performance has returned confidence to the team. That is exactly what his game is all about. He brings passion to the field. That is the kind of feeling we need.'
Barcelona had won all three Spanish domestic football titles since winning the Super Cup last season. Flick believes that this success has also increased Barcelona's ambitions. After winning their tenth consecutive victory in all competitions, coach Flick added, 'Our mentality is positive now. That's why it boosts the team's confidence.'
He continued, 'This final was very important for us, because it was against Real. Whenever we play against Real, it's always special. This time we won in this final. That's why it's even better.' Flick has played 8 finals as a coach so far. He has won all of them. The last two victories were against Real in the Champions League season.
So he said, 'The way we were able to play in the final with concentration, it gives the team a lot of relief. It's really important for the team.' He also brought his defender Ronald Araújo onto the field towards the end of the game. The Uruguayan player had taken a break from football for some time due to mental health reasons. Speaking about him, Flick said, 'This victory will also support him.'
Under Flick's leadership, Barcelona won all four 'El Clasico' matches last season. Barcelona will be happy that the team that won the last four editions of the Super Cup has finally won the La Liga title. Barcelona failed to get off to a good start this season, but they have found their rhythm at a crucial juncture. Barcelona beat Real in the Super Cup final last season.
Barcelona have become the champions of this competition for a record 16 times. The defeat will put Real and the team's coach Xavi Alonso under pressure again. He said, analyzing the final, 'Whenever a team loses, it's a bad experience. In this game, we continued our struggle until the end. The game was also a draw. I want to congratulate Barcelona for the victory.'
