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Barcelona Thrash Real Madrid To Win Spanish Super Cup

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Barcelona hammered rivals Real Madrid 5-2 in a wild Spanish Super Cup final in Saudi Arabia on Sunday to win the first trophy of coach Hansi Flick’s reign.

Kylian Mbappe put Madrid ahead but a dominant Barcelona hit five in response before their goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny was sent off in the second half.

Barcelona hammered rivals Real Madrid 5-2 in a wild Spanish Super Cup Clasico final in Saudi Arabia on Sunday to win the first trophy of the Hansi Flick era.

The electric Kylian Mbappe sent Madrid ahead but a dominant Barcelona hit five in response before their goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny was sent off in the second half.

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Madrid were hoping to avenge their 4-0 defeat by Barcelona in October’s La Liga Clasico but instead were left battered and bruised by their arch-rivals in Jeddah.

After Mbappe’s opener, Lamine Yamal levelled and Robert Lewandowski sent Barcelona ahead from the penalty spot, with Raphinha bagging a brace and Alejandro Balde also on target.

Rodrygo Goes pulled one back for Madrid with a free-kick but they could not capitalise further on their numerical advantage in a humiliating defeat for the European champions.

Both Flick and his opposite number Carlo Ancelotti opted to maintain the same line-ups they started with in the semi-finals.

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Yamal issued Madrid an early warning with a curling effort from the right which forced Thibaut Courtois into a fine save.

The Belgian goalkeeper also produced a strong stop to keep a Raphinha header at bay after the Brazilian evaded Lucas Vazquez with ease.

Despite Barcelona’s opening salvo it was Real Madrid who took the lead in the fifth minute with Mbappe’s brilliant goal on the counter-attack.

The French forward, frustrated numerous times by the offside flag in the league defeat by the Catalans, broke loose on the halfway line after Vinicius won the ball back and, after bursting into the area, clipped past Szczesny.

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It took a stunning individual goal from 17-year-old Yamal to level the scoreline, with the Spanish winger cutting in from the right before stroking home a low finish inside the near post in a similar style to former Barca great Lionel Messi, whom he is often compared to.

Inigo Martinez hobbled off injured and Flick sent on Ronald Araujo in his place, amidst heavy transfer speculation the Uruguayan defender wants to leave the club.

Brilliant Barca

Barcelona kept pushing and moved ahead through Lewandowski’s penalty after Eduardo Camavinga arrived late and carelessly clattered Gavi.

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Raphinha soon added Barcelona’s third with a header from Jules Kounde’s cross from deep and they grabbed their fourth before half-time on the break.

Yamal and Raphinha combined and the latter slipped in Balde, who slotted past Courtois.

Barcelona continued in the same vein after the break and Raphinha netted the fifth with a neat dribble and finish after Marc Casado played him in.

The Catalans were reduced to 10 men when Mbappe sped in at the other end, rounding goalkeeper Szczesny, who brought him down outside the area and after a VAR review was dismissed.

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Rodrygo, who earlier hit the post, rifled home the free-kick past Szczesny’s replacement Inaki Pena.

Mbappe brilliantly teed up Jude Bellingham but the England international was denied by a superb Kounde challenge in stoppage time.

The French forward also came close to scoring again himself on a fine individual display but Pena tipped away his effort.

Barcelona brought on midfielder Dani Olmo for his first appearance since he was registered to play for the club on a temporary basis, a controversial issue which overshadowed the semi-finals earlier in the week.

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However their five-star display offered a host of other talking points as Barca won a record-extending 15th Spanish Super Cup.

AFP

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Osimhen’s brace fires Galatasaray to Turkish cup glory

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Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen delivered a sensational performance, scoring twice to lead Galatasaray to a commanding 3-0 victory over Trabzonspor in the Turkish Cup final at Gaziantep Stadium.

The win secured Galatasaray’s 19th Turkish Cup title and their first since 2019.

Osimhen has been instrumental throughout Galatasaray’s cup run, bagging a brace in their 2-1 quarter-final win over Fenerbahçe and adding a goal and assist in the 5-1 semi-final rout of Konyaspor.

Facing a determined Trabzonspor side, last year’s runners-up, Galatasaray struck early through Baris Alper Yilmaz, who finished off a precise cutback from Yunus Akgün in the 5th minute.

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Osimhen took center stage in the second half. He powered through a defender to double the lead, then capped a swift counter-attack with his second goal, his 35th of the season, putting the result beyond doubt.

The match also saw Osimhen face off against compatriot Anthony Nwakaeme, who was hoping to inspire Trabzonspor to glory on his return.

This triumph marks Osimhen’s first trophy with Galatasaray and the fourth of his career, adding to his U-17 World Cup, U-23 AFCON (both in 2015), and Serie A (2023) titles.

His 35-goal haul also sets a new record, surpassing Mario Jardel’s 24-year milestone to become the highest-scoring foreign player in a single season for Galatasaray.

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Flying Eagles beat Senegal, advance to U-20 AFCON semifinals

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Nigeria’s U-20 national team, the Flying Eagles, have secured a place in the semifinals of the Africa Cup of Nations U-20 tournament and qualified for the FIFA U-20 World Cup after a dramatic penalty shootout victory over Senegal.

The tightly contested knockout stage encounter ended goalless after regular and extra time, with both teams unable to find the back of the net.

Ultimately, it was Nigeria who triumphed 3–1 in the penalty shootout.

The match, held in the knockout stage of the continental youth championship, saw the two sides locked in a stalemate throughout regulation and extra time.

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Despite numerous attempts from both sides, neither team could break the deadlock, leading to a penalty decider.

Nigeria converted three of their spot-kicks, while Senegal managed only one, allowing the Flying Eagles to clinch the win and progress to the last four of the competition.

The result not only sends Nigeria into the semifinals of the U-20 AFCON but also confirms their place in the upcoming FIFA U-20 World Cup.

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Brazil appoints Carlo Ancelotti as national team coach

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Veteran Italian manager Carlo Ancelotti has been officially appointed as the new head coach of Brazil’s national football team, according to reports by sports journalist David Ornstein. The 65-year-old will take over the role on May 26, immediately after overseeing his final match with Real Madrid against Real Sociedad in La Liga.

Ancelotti’s appointment marks a historic moment as he becomes the first foreigner to manage Brazil’s senior men’s team. Ornstein confirmed that all agreements have been finalized and contracts signed, with the transition negotiated amicably between Ancelotti, Real Madrid, and the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF). The deal was led by Diego Fernandes on behalf of the CBF.

One of the most decorated coaches in football history, Ancelotti will be tasked with leading Brazil through their 2026 World Cup qualification campaign, aiming for a record-extending sixth World Cup title when the tournament kicks off in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

The Athletic previously reported that Ancelotti had agreed to take charge through the 2026 World Cup. He will succeed Dorival Júnior, who was dismissed in March after 14 months at the helm.

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Ancelotti’s debut on the Brazil touchline is expected on June 6, in a World Cup qualifier against Ecuador.

Since returning to Real Madrid in 2021, Ancelotti has added two La Liga titles and a Champions League trophy to his illustrious resume, which includes eight major European finals. However, recent performances by Madrid have been underwhelming, including a Champions League quarter-final exit to Arsenal, a Copa del Rey final loss to Barcelona, and trailing Hansi Flick’s side by seven points in La Liga with three games to go.

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