WHAT HAPPENED?

Barca fell two goals behind inside 10 minutes at Al-Awwal Stadium as Vinicius Junior took centre-stage for Real Madrid, but halved the deficit just after the half hour mark via a superb volley from Robert Lewandowski. Vinicius completed his hat-trick before the break, though, converting a penalty to put Real back in full command, and Rodrygo rounded off the scoring in the second half to ensure the Spanish Super Cup will be heading back to Santiago Bernabeu for 2024.

WHAT XAVI SAID

Barca played the final 20 minutes of the 4-1 defeat with just ten men after seeing Ronald Araujo pick up a red card, but Xavi was left fuming over his team’s poor start to the match. “We can’t come into a final like this. We’ve been awful in defence and in the high pressing,” the Barca boss said at his post-match press conference. “You just can’t start a final losing 2-0. Then we got back a bit with Robert Lewandowski’s goal, but the penalty, which wasn’t a penalty in my opinion, took us down again. Then the second half has been really bad. On the defensive side of the game, we did not stop their runs. We did not make fouls. They live off that, that’s where the first two goals came from. We knew it and work to stop it in training, but it didn’t work out. Not just as a Barca manager, but as a Barca fan I am very sad. That’s all I can say. Apologies to our fans but we’ll bounce back.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE

The final result piles more pressure on Xavi, with Barcelona also eight points behind Real Madrid in the La Liga title race and struggling for consistency in all competitions. It has been suggested that the Spaniard is now on borrowed time in the Camp Nou hot seat, but he insists that everyone in the dressing room is still pulling in the same direction and has no doubt he can still turn things around. “I am ready to get all the criticism that will come. No problems. I believe in this project, in myself, in the footballers,” Xavi added. “I think we are capable to revert this. There are three titles remaining. It’s a hard blow, but this is sport. I’m still confident and I feel strong. What can I do to convince fans? We can look back and see that, with me in the club, we have won trophies. We have already done it. We did everything last year to believe Barca was in the start of a new era. Now it’s time to hold on, reset things and fight for titles.”

WHAT NEXT FOR BARCELONA?

Xavi will now have to dust his players down ahead of a crucial Copa del Rey round of 16 encounter against Unionistas on Thursday night. Barca need to get back to winning ways in that fixture before turning their attention to a tricky away game against Real Betis in La Liga. The reigning Spanish champions will then conclude their January schedule with games against Villarreal and Osasuna.