Barcelona strengthened its pursuit of a historic treble after defeating Real Madrid 3-2 in a dramatic Copa del Rey final Saturday, with Jules Koundé delivering the decisive goal deep into extra time.
Right back Koundé capitalized on a costly mistake by Luka Modric, intercepting a loose pass and firing low past Thibaut Courtois in the 116th minute to seal Barcelona’s record-extending 32nd Copa del Rey title at La Cartuja Stadium. The triumph provides crucial momentum for Barcelona ahead of Wednesday’s opening leg of the UEFA Champions League semifinal against Inter Milan, and the club continues to lead La Liga by four points over its fiercest rival.
Pedri González orchestrated Barcelona’s attack from midfield and opened the scoring in the 28th minute with a powerful long-range strike following a rapid break led by teenage sensation Lamine Yamal. The first half was dominated by Barcelona’s pressing defense and superior ball control, leaving Real Madrid struggling to create significant chances aside from a brief moment when Jude Bellingham broke free, only for his pass to be intercepted.
Real Madrid regrouped after halftime, energized by the introduction of Kylian Mbappé, who had been sidelined with an ankle injury. The French star ignited Madrid’s comeback, drawing a foul and converting the resulting free kick with precision in the 70th minute to level the match. Seven minutes later, Aurélien Tchouaméni gave Madrid the lead with a powerful header off a corner delivered by Arda Güler.
Barcelona, however, responded with resilience. Ferran Torres, starting in place of the injured Robert Lewandowski, scored the equalizer in the 84th minute. Yamal lofted a ball over the Madrid defense, and Courtois misjudged his attempt to intercept, allowing Torres to slot into an empty net and force extra time.
The intense rivalry, one of global soccer’s most storied, lived up to its billing with both sides pushing for a winner. The referee, who faced accusations of bias from Real Madrid’s club media on the eve of the final, faced another controversy when he reversed a late penalty decision after a VAR review in injury time.
As extra time unfolded and players on both sides showed visible fatigue, the match seemed destined for a penalty shootout until Koundé’s decisive intervention. Barcelona’s defense remained resolute thereafter, despite late drama when Real Madrid’s Antonio Rudiger was shown a red card for dissent in the dying moments, needing to be restrained by teammates and staff after confronting the referee.
Following the final whistle, King Felipe VI, having just returned from attending the funeral of Pope Francis, presented the trophy to Barcelona captains Ronald Araújo and Marc-André ter Stegen. The victory marks the first trophy of the season for Barcelona under coach Hansi Flick, who has rejuvenated the squad after a difficult period under Xavi Hernández, nurturing young talents like Yamal and Pau Cubarsí into vital contributors.
For Real Madrid, the defeat capped a difficult stretch following its elimination from the Champions League quarterfinals by Arsenal. Manager Carlo Ancelotti’s future remains uncertain, as the Italian indicated that a decision on his tenure will be made in the coming weeks amid speculation linking him to the Brazilian national team.
“This was such a physically demanding game, but we showed that we are a great team that never gives up,” said Torres, who played a critical role in the comeback effort.
Meanwhile, Flick praised his squad’s resilience, saying, “I have to say thanks to the team because they had an unbelievable performance.”
Barcelona now turns its focus to maintaining its La Liga lead and chasing European glory, as it seeks to replicate the treble achievements previously accomplished under Pep Guardiola in 2009 and Luis Enrique in 2015.
