Barcelona 3 – 2 Real Madrid
In the 116th minute, a stunning goal from Jules Koundé gave Barcelona the decisive edge.
The match took a dramatic turn after Kylian Mbappé came onto the pitch. His magic touch revitalized Real Madrid, and at one point, they even took the lead. However, Barcelona equalized by capitalizing on a mistake from Thibaut Courtois, sending the match into extra time. Just when it seemed the final would be decided by a penalty shootout, Jules Koundé produced a brilliant goal to separate the two sides. In a thrilling battle, Hansi Flick’s Barcelona clinched the Copa del Rey title.
In a pulsating final in Seville on Saturday night, Barcelona emerged victorious with a 3-2 win. It marked their 32nd Copa del Rey trophy — no other club has more than 24.
Barcelona finished the first half on top after a superb goal from Pedri. In the second half, Real Madrid struck twice within just eight minutes. Mbappé first leveled the score with his first-ever goal from a direct free kick, and then Aurélien Tchouaméni gave Madrid the lead.
At that stage, Real Madrid looked like the stronger side. But against the run of play, Ferran Torres equalized in the 84th minute, setting the stage for Koundé’s match-winning goal.
The final was preceded by tension, sparked by comments from referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea and VAR official González Fuertes. Real Madrid boycotted pre-match training sessions, press conferences, and other official activities, even demanding a change of referee — a request that was ultimately denied.
The match itself ended in high drama. Real Madrid’s bench erupted over a denied late free kick appeal, and Antonio Rüdiger was shown a red card after throwing something toward the referee. It took considerable effort from Real’s coach and players to calm him down.
Despite the chaotic ending, the match had a relatively tame start. Barcelona dominated possession early, patiently looking for openings, while Real Madrid appeared aimless. In the third minute, Jules Koundé missed the target with a header from a corner.
Real suffered an early blow when Ferland Mendy was forced off injured in the 11th minute, replaced by Fran García. Five minutes later, Barcelona appealed for a handball after Raphinha’s cross hit Fede Valverde’s hand in the box, but the referee waved it off.
In the 19th minute, Lamine Yamal’s cross-shot narrowly missed the far post — Courtois was caught completely off guard. However, just three minutes later, the Real keeper reacted sharply to parry away a powerful header from Koundé.
Barcelona finally broke through in the 28th minute with a brilliant goal. On a counterattack, Yamal raced to the byline and pulled the ball back for Pedri, who, completely unmarked, smashed it past Courtois.
Courtois had to make another fine save from Raphinha three minutes later. Jude Bellingham thought he had equalized in the 35th minute, but the goal was ruled out for offside.
Just before halftime, Barcelona almost doubled their lead when Dani Olmo’s corner bounced dangerously off the far post. Iñigo Martínez came close but couldn’t capitalize on the rebound.
In the first half, Barcelona controlled 63% of possession and took nine shots, four on target. Real Madrid managed just one shot, and it was off target.
Looking to sharpen their attack, Carlo Ancelotti brought on Mbappé for Rodrygo at halftime.
Barcelona created the first chance after the restart — Yamal’s shot was saved by Courtois in the 46th minute. Two minutes later, Courtois again denied a long-range effort from Raphinha.
Real Madrid’s first shot on target came in the 49th minute when Vinícius Júnior forced a fine save from Barcelona keeper Wojciech Szczęsny. Szczęsny also stopped Vinícius’s follow-up attempt.
Mbappé then tested Szczęsny with a shot five minutes later, but the Barcelona keeper stood firm. At the other end, Raphinha squandered a great chance on the counterattack.
In the 56th minute, Real Madrid appealed for a handball inside Barcelona’s box, but once again, the referee didn’t budge. Vinícius had two more attempts shortly after, both saved by Szczęsny.
Finally, in the 70th minute, Mbappé equalized with a fantastic free kick, his first direct free kick goal, leaving Szczęsny helpless as the ball struck the post and went in.
Real Madrid’s momentum continued, and they took the lead in the 77th minute. After earning three consecutive corners, Tchouaméni found the net with a powerful header from the third delivery.
Five minutes later, Courtois denied a superb shot from Yamal to keep Madrid ahead.
In the 84th minute, disaster struck for Real Madrid. Courtois misjudged a long ball, allowing Ferran Torres to outpace Rüdiger. The Barcelona forward calmly slotted the ball into the empty net to level the match.
In the final moments of injury time, Barcelona were awarded a penalty, but after a VAR review, the decision was overturned — and Raphinha was booked for diving.
Extra time saw a slower pace, with both teams focusing more on defense. Torres had a golden chance in the 104th minute but fired wide.
In the 107th minute, Torres found the net again, but the goal was ruled out for offside. Shortly after, Fermín López missed a great opportunity from a dangerous position.
Finally, in the 116th minute, Jules Koundé sealed it for Barcelona. After Luka Modrić passed the ball just outside his own box to Brahim Díaz, Koundé sprinted in, intercepted, and unleashed a fierce shot into the net!
Mbappé tried to rescue Real Madrid in the dying moments, but Barcelona held on under immense pressure to celebrate a dramatic victory.
This win keeps Barcelona’s hopes alive for a treble this season. They have already secured their first title and will now focus on the Champions League and La Liga.
Meanwhile, Real Madrid have already been eliminated from the Champions League, and after missing out on the Copa del Rey, their only remaining hope lies in La Liga — where they currently trail Barcelona by four points.
