Three talking points from Barcelona 3-2 Real Madrid | Copa del Rey final | OneFootball

Real Madrid appeared to have sealed the win over Barcelona last night in the final of the Copa del Rey when Aurelien Tchouameni scored from a set-piece to put Los Blancos in the lead after Kylian Mbappe had cancelled out Pedri’s goal.

Only 13 minutes remained and the Merengues were surely in the driving seat to seal the title. Barcelona, however, had other plans.

Lamine Yamal and Ferran Torres combined to help level the score for the Blaugrana and forced extra-time. In the final 30 minutes, Real Madrid were far from impressive and Jules Kounde eventually capitalised on a passing error to crown the Catalans champions.

Real Madrid have now lost three El Clasicos in a row including two in finals. Their wait for the Copa del Rey title will now have to wait at least a year.

Madrid Universal brings you three talking points from Barcelona 3-2 Real Madrid.

A result of slacking off

If last night’s game against Barcelona showed anything for Real Madrid, it was that Los Blancos could compete neck to neck with the Blaugrana when they wanted and needed to. The issue, however, was that they didn’t want it enough.

Barcelona had the better of Real Madrid throughout the first half with Los Blancos sitting low and not even looking to steal the ball.

When they went a goal down and returned after the break, however, Real Madrid began to attack with intensity and dominated the Catalans for over 30 minutes.

Between minutes 45 and 75, Real Madrid were clearly the superior of the two teams. If indeed the dressing room has the quality to match an in-form Barcelona, one must question why the player did not dig deep throughout the 90 minutes.

After scoring the second goal which gave them the lead, Real Madrid slacked off and never really got back into the game. In fact, the winning goal that Jules Kounde eventually scored for Barcelona was purely because of Brahim Diaz switching off.

The Moroccan star was far closer to the ball than Kounde who had played 90 minutes more than him, but it was still the Frenchman who had the zeal and energy to steal the ball and score the winner.

Real Madrid’s defeat last night, thus, can be attributed to the team slacking off on a night when it was simply unacceptable. Serious questions have to be asked.

Staring at a season without a major trophy

A season without a major trophy on the horizon? (Photo by Fran Santiago/Getty Images)

When the season began, there was a serious conversation about Real Madrid competing and winning seven competitions. The UEFA Super Cup and Intercontinental Cup went their way and they looked set to compete on all fronts.

Their downfall began earlier this year in the final of the Spanish Super Cup against Barcelona where they lost, after which they went on a slump in La Liga and even saw themselves eliminated from the UEFA Champions League.

The Copa del Rey was thus Real Madrid’s biggest chance of sealing a trophy at the end of the current season. Last night’s result, however, means that there is a good chance Real Madrid end up with none of the three major trophies they have been competing for in recent months.

There is indeed scope for a comeback in La Liga. Barcelona, however, are four points clear and even beating them in the next Clasico will not be enough to mathematically make Los Blancos favourites.

For Real Madrid to not win La Liga, the UCL or the Copa del Rey in a season after roping in Kylian Mbappe is gravely concerning and a mark of a serious mess of a situation. The aftermath could be ugly.

The aftermath of the collapse

The game at La Cartuja ended with Barcelona in jubilance and Real Madrid on their knees, especially after they bottled a 2-1 lead with just 13 minutes to go.

As has been relayed extensively in recent weeks, there will now be serious consequences of the defeat that the administration will not hesitate to implement.

The management, for starters, is almost guaranteed to change now and there is good reason to believe Ancelotti is in the final stages of his stint as the manager of Real Madrid. Santiago Solari or Raul Gonzalez may take over as the interim coach if he is removed immediately.

In the more immediate term, however, the Clasico last night leaves Real Madrid in a tight spot with suspensions and injuries all accumulating at a complicated hour.

Ferland Mendy, Dani Ceballos and Antonio Rudiger all accumulated discomforts with the Frenchman even suffering a fresh injury and will thus be unavailable in the short term.

The German defender, in particular, has come under serious fire for his unacceptable behaviour on the sidelines including throwing objects at the referee and will likely see a ban of over four games.

Having seen the red card on the bench, his prolonged suspension could render him unavailable against not only Celta Vigo but also Barcelona owing to the nature of his punishment.

Jude Bellingham and Lucas Vazquez also saw red for their reactions on the field and insults to the referee, and it remains to be seen what kind of sanctions they face.

The coming days may see stirring developments in the Spanish capital, for it is clear that a lot needs to change.