By: Luis Imaña
With a notable superiority on the field, Barcelona defeated Real Madrid 3-1 and became the champion of the Spanish Super Cup, ending their title drought.
Despite the fact that the merengues had a squad full of players with experience in these instances, the azulgranas showcased their hunger for glory from the first minute.
Guided by Xavi Hernandez, they set the pace of the game from the start and the first warning came in the 12th minute with a shot from Robert Lewandowski that hit the post thanks to Thibaut Courtois' great intervention under the goal.
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However, Real Madrid could not hold back the azulgrana offensive forever, as Gavi received a pass from 'Lewa' in the heart of the area at 33 minutes to score the first goal of the match with a curved shot.
The first half still had another joy for Barcelona. At 45 minutes, Gavi returned the favor to Lewandowski and assisted the Polish player to extend the lead on the scoreboard. This meant the first goal for the '9' against the merengues as a culé player.
The Catalan team, far from reducing the intensity, continued attacking the current Champions champion in search of a goal that would bring them closer to the coveted trophy and they got it.
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At 69 minutes, Gavi overflowed down the left flank to send a cross to Pedri, who deflected the ball in with his left foot, unleashing the euphoria of all the azulgrana fans at the King Fahd Stadium.
With a 3-0 advantage for Barza, the merengues launched themselves into the attack in a desperate attempt to reverse the result. Although Karim Benzema was able to reduce the lead in the 93rd minute, it was of little use to prevent the victory of the culés.
MVP. Gavi was chosen as the best player of the Super Cup. Photo: EFE
"Very satisfied and happy. I like the how. If we don't play well, I'm not completely happy when we win, but we always think about the how. We think about generating superiority. What I have imagined and planned has turned out perfectly. I am very happy for my players, who have received many unfair criticisms, and many players have been liberated. This gives a lot of confidence and tranquility to work," said the coach of Barcelona in a press conference after the match.
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In this way, the azulgranas start 2023 in the best possible way after winning their first title of the year. Likewise, the Spanish Super Cup also meant the first trophy obtained by Xavi Hernandez since he took over as coach of Barcelona in November 2021.
Infographic - La República