La Liga roundup: Barcelona beats Madrid to win Super Cup in Saudi Arabia
MADRID (AP) — Barcelona’s title drought with coach Xavi — and with out Lionel Messi — is lastly over.
Barcelona beat Real Madrid 3-1 on Sunday to win the Spanish Super Cup at Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and provides its followers causes to have a good time once more after a revamping course of that started following Messi’s departure for Paris Saint-Germain and the arrival of former participant Xavi as coach in 2021.
“We’ve been through some tough years, with financial difficulties, Messi’s departure,” Xavi mentioned. “It was not straightforward to deliver again a constructive dynamic. This will assist give us some tranquility. We’ve been working laborious from the start regardless of all of the criticism, and we have now to maintain working.”
Barcelona had not lifted a trophy because the 2021 Copa del Rey below former coach Ronald Koeman. That was Messi’s thirty fifth and last title with Barcelona earlier than leaving amid the membership’s monetary struggles.
Robert Lewandowski, Gavi and Pedri scored a aim every within the last at King Fahd Stadium to present Barcelona its first Super Cup trophy since 2018 — and its 14th total — and the primary because the event started being performed in a Final Four format in 2020 in a profitable deal for the Spanish soccer federation.
Gavi opened the scoring within the thirty third minute from shut vary after a move by Lewandowski, who doubled the lead after an help by Gavi in a breakaway simply earlier than the top of the primary half. Gavi additionally arrange Pedri’s close-range aim in one other breakaway within the 69th.
Karim Benzema scored for Madrid late in stoppage time.
“We knew we couldn’t miss this opportunity,” Barcelona captain Sergio Busquets mentioned. “We’ve been going by means of modifications on the membership and I feel this triumph will make us stronger and permit us to maintain competing, continue to grow and hold combating for titles.
“It’s clear that at Barça you always have to win,” Busquets mentioned. “We knew it was going to be like that after Xavi arrived, and now we finally have been able to do it.”
Madrid was making an attempt to win its second consecutive Super Cup title in Saudi Arabia, and equal Barcelona’s report of 13 Super Cup trophies.
“It’s a tough loss and we have to learn from it,” Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti mentioned. “We will improve and bounce back from it.”
Madrid eradicated Barcelona in final season’s semifinals, however the Spanish powerhouses had by no means met within the last of the revamped competitors.
Both groups wanted penalty shootouts to edge their opponents within the semifinals. Madrid beat Valencia and Barcelona defeated Real Betis.
Madrid beat Barcelona 3-1 at dwelling within the first “clásico” of the season on the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium within the Spanish league in October. It trails Barcelona by three factors within the league this season.
The Super Cup was performed between the Spanish league champion and the Copa del Rey winner. Now the runners-up in each competitions additionally take part. Madrid performed because the league champion and Barcelona because the league runner-up. Betis received the Copa title over Valencia final season.
The present contract to play the Super Cup in Saudi Arabia runs by means of the 2024-25 season regardless of criticism over the nation’s human rights report.
ATLÉTICO HELD IN LEAGUE
Atlético Madrid was held to a 1-1 draw at Almería within the Spanish league, staying in fourth place and tied on factors with fifth-place Villarreal and sixth-place Real Betis.
Ángel Correa put Atlético forward within the 18th however El Bilal Touré equalized for the hosts within the thirty seventh. Atlético defender Sergio Reguilón entered the match in its place within the 67th however was despatched off with consecutive yellow playing cards within the 89th.
Atlético was coming off a 1-0 dwelling loss to chief Barcelona, which is 13 factors forward of Atlético.
Almería, winless in three straight league video games, stayed in thirteenth place.
Earlier Sunday, Espanyol moved farther from the relegation zone with a 2-1 win at Getafe, with Joselu scoring the opening aim for the hosts with a shot from close to the midway line because the Getafe goalkeeper acquired caught out of place.
Defending league champion Madrid is in second place and Real Sociedad, which beat Athletic Bilbao 3-1 within the Basque Country derby on Saturday, is third.
