Raphinha stole the limelight as Flick extended unbeaten final streak
Barcelona have won their 16th Supercopa de España by after Real Madrid in a highly-entertaining final that took place at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Saudi Arabia on Sunday. The Blaugrana surrendered two leads before the break as Vinícius Júnior cancelled out Raphinha’s opener and Gonzalo García netted late in added time to equalise after Robert Lewandowski scored Barcelona’s second.
Yet, Raphinha’s strike deflected off Raúl Asencio and into the back of the net midway through the second half, with Barça soaking up pressure in the closing stages to clinch the victory. Here’s a look at three talking points from Sunday’s Supercopa de España final.
Raphinha’s resurgence under Hansi Flick
The summer of 2024 saw Hansi Flick succeed club legend Xavi Hernández by taking charge of a struggling Barcelona. After missing out on the league title in 2023/24, the club would bounce back from adversity under Flick, who inspired Barcelona to LaLiga glory a year after his appointment.
To do so, he relied on Raphinha, whom he convinced to stay put despite the Brazil international feeling unwanted following a below-par campaign plagued by injuries. A rejuvenated Raphinha recorded as many as 34 goals and 26 assists last season, forcing himself into the conversation for the 2026 Ballon d’Or.
An injury may have seen him miss one and a half month of action earlier this season, but Raphinha has gradually rediscovered his form, with his performance in the Supercopa de España final demonstrating that he is back to his best.
The 29-year-old forward opened the scoring 36 minutes into the game and netted a second in the 73rd minute to inspire a Barcelona victory over their fierce rivals. After the game, he admitted that had it not been for Flick, he could be plying his trade elsewhere.
“I always say that [Flick] was the person who changed everything for me,” Raphinha noted. “In the end, I was leaving the club, I had one foot out the door, and he played a huge role: he came over, talked to me, and told me that he wanted to count on me, that I would be an important player.”
If you needed even more proof for how important Raphinha is to Barcelona:
They have won ALL 10 of their last 10 matches since he has been back in the starting lineup following his return from a hamstring injury 🤯 pic.twitter.com/TCoW5YFdnD
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) January 11, 2026
Real Madrid’s trick to neutralise Lamine Yamal
Containing Yamal is anything but an easy task for any defence. Considered one of the finest players on the continent, the 18-year-old has the skillset to create havoc at any point during a match, which makes neutralising him a top priority for opposition coaches. Xabi Alonso managed to do what many have failed to by playing Vinícius upfront and moving Rodrygo Goes to the left, where he tracked back and helped Álvaro Carreras to contain the Spain international.
Yamal struggled to find space to attack and was forced to part ways with the ball on numerous occasions, ending the game without a goal contribution. He missed a couple of chances to get his name on the scoresheet, but overall Real Madrid’s defence did a great job on the prodigious winger.
Flick does not lose finals
Less than two years after landing in Catalonia, the 60-year-old tactician has celebrated his fourth title with Barcelona. His first trophy came one year ago, when the Blaugrana won the previous edition of Supercopa de España. What followed was a domestic double to end his first season at the club in style. Flick has now won all eight finals that his teams have competed in, including the aforementioned three with Barcelona and five at Bayern Munich (DFB-Pokal, DFL-Supercup, Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup) in the same season.