Barcelona full-back Jules Kounde has said his teammates were confident that they would beat Real Madrid in the Supercopa de Espana final.
Barcelona claimed a thumping 5-2 victory over Real Madrid in the Supercopa de Espana final at King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Sunday, 12th January.
Kylian Mbappe gave Los Blancos the lead against the run of play in the fifth minute. Barca, however, did not lose their cool and scored the equalizer through wunderkind Lamine Yamal in the 22nd minute. In the 36th minute, Robert Lewandowski put Barcelona ahead after converting from the spot.
In the 39th minute, Raphinha scored an emphatic header from 10 yards out, courtesy of a majestic cross from Koune from near the halfway line. Then, just before the half-time whistle, Alejandro Balde applied a clinical finish to make it 4-1.
Dios mío de mi vida Jules Koundé pic.twitter.com/1WbmXA3Zwo
— Ronci (@ElRonceroDelFCB) January 13, 2025
Barcelona picked up right where they left off in the second half, with Raphinha making it 5-1. There was a period of uncertainty after Wojciech Szczesny saw a red card and Rodrygo scored, but Barca did an excellent job at containing Real Madrid.
Jules Kounde: Barcelona Were Confident of Beating Real Madrid
After helping Barcelona to their 15th Supercopa de Espana crown, Kounde expressed his satisfaction, saying there was belief that Barca would beat Real Madrid.
“We hadn’t won a title this season. Now we have an El Clasico against Real Madrid! We were calm and patient and knew that, by applying the game plan, we were going to win,” Kounde told Movistar (via Barca Blaugranes).
“I’m very happy and proud of the team. We had the advantage in goals and, after the expulsion, we met the challenge and did not let it slip away. It gives us a boost of confidence. We now have a title that we wanted.”
It was Barcelona’s second meeting with Real Madrid in the 2024-25 season. Barca ran circles around Los Merengues in that game as well, beating them 4-0 in their La Liga encounter at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.
Barcelona will return to action with a clash against Real Betis in the Copa del Rey on Wednesday, 15th January.
