Barcelona's top scorer this season, Polish veteran striker Robert Lewandowski, missed the game due to injury, but played a key role in earlier matches of this Spanish Cup campaign. Meanwhile, Wojciech Szczęsny started in the Catalans goal - providing a number of top-class saves throughout the final.
Pedri opened the score for Barcelona with a fantastic 28th minute long range effort, and the 1-0 score kept well into the second half. Then, however, Real landed two blows within 7 minutes. First, Kylian Mbappe scored his first ever direct free kick goal, with a powerful and precise shot going in off the post in the 70th. Soon after, Aurélien Tchouaméni converted a corner cross with a header in the 77th minute - making it 2-1 for Los Blancos.
Just 7 minutes later, though - the score was tied again. Lamine Yamal spotted a run by his teammate Ferran Torres, and sent a beautiful opening pass. Then, a miscommunication between Real's goalie Courtois and centre back Rüdiger at the edge of the box gave the Barcelona striker just enough time and space to curl it in, become the competition's top scorer - and send the game into overtime.
Both teams were going strong in the extra 30 minutes, but - for a long time - it didn't translate to any serious threat to either goal. Torres scored for the second time that evening at the beginning of the second half, but the Barcelona striker was clearly offside. However, as the players were already thinking about the penalty shootout - in the 116th minute Real made a mistake when bringing the ball out from defence, Barça centre-half Kounde took it and settled the score with a long range scorcher - evoking the memories of Ronald Koeman, who did just that aplenty for the club in the 1990s.
The final touch of the match was the red cards for Real's already subbed-out Antonio Rüdiger and Lucas Vasquez, who reacted too fiercely to the referee's decisions - and a second yellow and red for Jude Belingham, who was still on the pitch. A moment later, the final whistle was blown.
The Spanish Cup won by Barcelona on Saturday night is Robert Lewandowski's fourth trophy in the colours of this club, and his 30th overall. Meanwhile, for Wojciech Szczęsny it was a 13th team honour in his football career - and the second since he joined the 'Blaugrana' in October 2024.
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Source: PAP, IAR