Xabi Alonso’s arrival has done little to temper Real Madrid’s campaign against referees, their antagonism towards La Liga and UEFA or their players’ petulance.

Raphinha opened the scoring in the Spanish Super Cup against Real Madrid, continuing his remarkable record against Los Blancos.

Barcelona won the 2026 Supercopa de Espana after beating Real Madrid 3-2 in a dramatic final that featured five goals, a late red card, and plenty of controversy. The opening stages followed a familiar pattern, with Barcelona controlling possession and territory while Real Madrid remained compact and looked to counter through Vinicius Junior.

The Spanish Super Cup final heads back to Saudi Arabia with Barcelona and Real Madrid at center stage, as crowd expectations and atmosphere become part of the story.

Real Madrid’s 2-1 win against Atlético set up a Super Cup final with Barcelona on Sunday night