Barcelona beats Real Madrid in dramatic Spanish Cup final marred by scandal

Barcelona vs Real Madrid: how the Spanish Cup final unfolded

In the 28th minute, Pedri opened the scoring following an assist from Lamine Yamal.

In the 70th minute, Kylian Mbappe equalized with a direct free kick.

Just seven minutes later, Aurélien Tchouaméni put Real Madrid ahead after a pass from Arda Güler.

In the 84th minute, Ferran Torres restored parity, converting another decisive moment with an assist from Yamal.

In extra time, Barcelona pressed their opponent. In the 116th minute, Jules Koundé scored the winning goal following a set-piece play, sealing the final score at 3–2.

This victory secured Barcelona’s 32nd Spanish Cup title in the club’s history.

Scandal in the final: red cards and chaos

Toward the end of the match, emotions got out of control. Real Madrid defender Antonio Rüdiger received a red card after the end of regular time. The player attempted to reach referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea in protest over the officiating decisions.

According to Spanish media, Rüdiger threw an ice pack toward the referee and made several attempts to approach him even after being sent off. The player is reportedly facing a lengthy suspension.

In addition, Lucas Vázquez was also shown a red card for arguing with the referee in the final seconds of the match.

Barcelona won the Spanish Cup (photo: facebook.com/fcbarcelona)

Real Madrid coach reacts to the defeat

Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti said at a press conference that "it was a good game."

"The first half was tougher, but we were better in the second half. We had the game under control, but they played a ball behind our defence for the second goal and the game got more complicated," Ancelotti noted.

It should be mentioned that Real Madrid has now lost 21 Spanish Cup finals in its history, with 20 victories.