🏆⚽️2024-25 European Football [UCL, UEL, EPL, LaLiga, Bundesliga, SerieA, Ligue1.]⚽🏆

[BangaloreaN]

Barcelona rout Real Madrid 5-2 to claim a record 15th Spanish Super Cup title



Barcelona players celebrate with their team's trophy of the Spanish Super Cup.

Barcelona triumphed over their rivals, Real Madrid, with a resounding 5-2 victory in the Spanish Super Cup Clasico final held in Saudi Arabia on Sunday. This win marks the first trophy for Barcelona under manager Hansi Flick.
Barcelona's impressive performance helped them secure a record-extending 15th Spanish Super Cup title.

Kylian Mbappe gave Real Madrid an early lead. However, Barcelona responded with five goals before their goalkeeper, Wojciech Szczesny, received a red card in the second half.
Real Madrid aimed to avenge their 4-0 home loss against Barcelona in La Liga back in October. Instead, they suffered a heavy defeat at the hands of their rivals in Jeddah.

Following Mbappe's opening goal, Lamine Yamal equalised for Barcelona. Robert Lewandowski then put Barcelona ahead with a penalty kick. Raphinha scored twice, and Alejandro Balde also found the net.
Rodrygo Goes managed to score a free-kick for Real Madrid, but they couldn't capitalise on their numerical advantage after Szczesny's sending-off. The defeat was a humbling experience for the European champions.
"I think today is a good day because we beat one of the best teams in the world, for the second time this season, Real Madrid, and this is unbelievable. We won a title here and we are really happy... today is a day to look positively at this team," Flick said after the match.
Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti attributed the heavy defeat to his team's defensive shortcomings.
"We defended badly and that cost us the game -- they found their goals quite easily. We're sad, like all our fans, it's disappointing and we don't have to hide that... we have to look forwards, there's nothing else we can do," Ancelotti said.

Despite Barcelona's strong start, Real Madrid took the lead in the fifth minute. Kylian Mbappe scored a brilliant counter-attack goal.
The French forward, who had been frustrated by offside calls in the previous league defeat against Barcelona, broke free after Vinicius Jr. won possession. He then sprinted into the penalty area and chipped the ball past Szczesny.
Lamine Yamal, the 17-year-old winger, scored a stunning individual goal to level the score. He cut in from the right and placed a low shot inside the near post, reminiscent of Lionel Messi.
Barcelona continued to press forward and took the lead with a penalty kick converted by Robert Lewandowski. The penalty was awarded after Eduardo Camavinga's late and reckless challenge on Gavi.
Raphinha extended Barcelona's lead with a header from Jules Kounde's cross. Barcelona then scored their fourth goal before halftime on a counter-attack. Yamal and Raphinha combined, and Raphinha set up Alejandro Balde, who calmly slotted the ball past Thibaut Courtois.
Barcelona maintained their momentum in the second half. Raphinha scored their fifth goal with a skillful dribble and finish after being played in by Marc Casado.
Barcelona was reduced to 10 men when Mbappe was brought down outside the penalty area by goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny. Mbappe had rounded Szczesny, and after a VAR review, the goalkeeper was sent off.
Rodrygo, who had earlier hit the post, converted the resulting free-kick past Szczesny's replacement, Inaki Pena.
Mbappe created a chance for Jude Bellingham, but the English midfielder's shot was blocked by a superb challenge from Jules Kounde in stoppage time.
Mbappe also came close to scoring again with a fine individual effort, but his shot was saved by Inaki Pena.

[BangaloreaN]

Copa del Rey: Barcelona edge Real Madrid in extra time to win the title
Jules Kounde scored in extra-time to help Barcelona beat Real Madrid 3-2 and win the Copa del Rey final at the Estadio de La Cartuja in Seville, Spain, on Saturday.


Barcelona edge Real Madrid in extra-time to win wild Copa del Rey

Barcelona lifted their record-extending 32nd Copa del Rey title after a thrilling 3-2 extra-time win over rivals Real Madrid at a packed La Cartuja stadium in Seville on Saturday. This was Barcelona's second trophy of the season, having won both the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup by beating Real Madrid
In a gripping El Clsico final, defender Jules Kound scored the decisive goal in the 116th minute, firing a low shot into the bottom corner from distance to seal the victory for Barcelona.
Barcelona took the lead through Pedri in the 28th minute with a stunning curling effort and dominated the first half. However, Real Madrid hit back strongly after the break. Substitute Kylian Mbapp equalised with a free-kick in the 70th minute before Aurlien Tchouamni put Madrid ahead just seven minutes later with a powerful header.
Barcelona responded through Ferran Torres, who finished off a counterattack to level the game in the 84th minute and send the final into extra time.As penalties loomed, Kound delivered the decisive blow. His goal sparked wild celebrations amongst the Bara players and fans, while frustration boiled over for Madrid. Antonio Rdiger and Lucas Vzquez were shown red cards for dissent from the sidelines, and Jude Bellingham was also sent off after the final whistle for unsportsmanlike conduct.
"Madrid pushed us to our limits but we showed great character and pride," Kound said after the match.
The final was a tense, ill-tempered affair, fueled by Real Madrid’s boycott of pre-match activities over refereeing protests. Referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea, who gave an emotional press conference on Friday, faced several tough calls, including overturning a late penalty for Barcelona after a long VAR check.
Barcelona dominated the first half, with Ferran Torres hitting the post, but Real Madrid stayed alive. Carlo Ancelotti turned to Kylian Mbapp after the break, and the Frenchman changed the tempo, combining well with Vinicius Jr. Despite two big saves from Wojciech Szczesny, Mbapp finally levelled with a low free-kick strike in the 69th minute.

Aurelien Tchouameni put Madrid ahead shortly after, but Torres equalised in the 83rd minute, setting up a thrilling finish that saw Barcelona grab the title in dramatic fashion.
Barcelona now turn their focus to the Champions League, where they will host Inter Milan in the semi-finals on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Real Madrid, now out of Europe and the Copa del Rey, are left to focus solely on LaLiga as they try to avoid ending the season empty-handed.
"It was a good time to give the fans something to cheer about. Let's enjoy it, but don't overdo it because the Champions League semi-finals are coming up in a few days," player of the match Ferran Torres told TVE.
"Happy and tired. Without a doubt, it was the most physically demanding game I've played in my life. But we're a great team who never gives up.
"It tastes better that way, especially when it's Real Madrid in front of us."

[K S Hrithwik]

[BangaloreaN]

Liverpool make history with second Premier League title



Liverpool match Man Utd's record of being English champions 20 times as Arne Slot leads club to glory in his debut season

Liverpool have been crowned champions for the second time in the Premier League - and a record-equalling 20th time in the top flight - with Arne Slot leading the club to glory in his first season in charge.
Sunday’s 5-1 victory against Tottenham Hotspur means Liverpool moved out of reach of their nearest rivals in the table, Arsenal, with four matches still to play, becoming the seventh team to seal the title so early.
Liverpool's only other Premier League title win came in 2019/20 under Jurgen Klopp during the COVID-19 pandemic, when fans weren’t allowed to attend matches.
So not only was confirming the title in front of their fans special, but when they lift the Premier League Trophy later this season, it will be the first time in front of their supporters as well.
Fans had flooded the roads around Anfield ahead of Sunday's match and provided the team with a hero's welcome to the stadium.
Head coach Arne Slot said such a presence helped to motivate his men, even after Spurs' Dominic Solanke had temporarily punctured the party atmosphere with the opening goal in the 12th minute.
“The way we arrived on the bus, everyone was thinking there is no way we were going to lose this game. Conceding first made it difficult, but they always find a way to win,” Slot said.
For Mohamed Salah, who took a selfie with the fans, after scoring to make it 4-1, securing the title on Sunday was twice as good as five years previously.

"It is incredible to win this with our fans,” Salah told Sky Sports. “This is 100 per cent better than last time, especially with the fans. We have a different group now so to show we can do it again is something special."
A second Premier League title means Liverpool go fifth in the rankings for the number of titles outright, moving behind Arsenal’s total of three.

PL titles won by clubs

Club	PL titles
Man Utd	13
Man City	8
Chelsea	5
Arsenal	3
Liverpool	2
Blackburn Rovers	1
Leicester	1

Significantly for Liverpool, because they won 18 top-flight titles before the Premier League started in 1992/93, they have now been crowned champions of England for the 20th time. That equals the record held by fierce rivals Manchester United, who last won the title in 2012/13.

Most English top-flight titles in history

Club	Top-flight titles
Man Utd	20
Liverpool	20
Arsenal	13
Manchester City	10
Everton	9

A key figure in Liverpool’s title-winning campaign has been Salah.
The Egyptian leads the Premier League charts for the most goals and most assists in 2024/25, with 28 and 18 respectively. Those goals and assists account for 58 per cent of the team’s Premier League tally this season - 46 of 80.
Salah, who recently signed a new contract, could yet become only the second player to register 20+ goals and 20+ assists in the same season, after Thierry Henry achieved this with Arsenal in 2002/03.
And he also has his sights set on the record of 47 goal involvements in a Premier League set by Andrew Cole in 1993/94 and Alan Shearer a year later.
“Goal involvements, for sure... hopefully I’m going to break it soon,” Salah said. “I know I broke the record for 38 games. Now one goal or one assist to go, I think? I counted!”

Top PL goalscorers and assist-makers 2024/25

Most goals		Most assists
Mohamed Salah	28	Mohamed Salah	18
Erling Haaland	21	Jacob Murphy	11
Alexander Isak	21	Mikkel Damsgaard	10
Chris Wood	19	Antonee Robinson	10
Bryan Mbeumo	18	Bukayo Saka	10