- SEVILLE (SPAIN) —
Jules Kounde scored a 116th minute winner to give FC Barcelona a thrilling 3-2
win in the Copa del Rey final against Real Madrid on Saturday night.
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- Kounde was quickly onto a ball from Luka Modric in the
Madrid half and with the game looking set for a penalty shoot-out, he drilled
the ball past Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois to give his side the 32nd
cup of their history.
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- The match went ahead after controversy on Friday after Real
Madrid's TV network, Real Madrid TV broadcast a video attacking referee Ricardo
de Burgos Bengoetxea, who was in tears in his press conference explaining how
the pressure affected his family, reports Xinhua.
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- Real Madrid insisted the referee should not take charge of
the game and there were even rumors the club had considered boycotting the
final in protest.
Also read: FC Barcelona set Copa del Rey final against Real Madrid
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- Things started badly for Madrid when Ferland Mendy had to
limp off after just 10 minutes with a groin injury and was replaced by Fran
Garcia and Lamine Yamal looked to take advantage of the substitute, skipping
past him down the line and seeing a shot slide wide of the post.
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- Thibaut Courtois tipped over Jules Kounde's header, while at
the other end, Kounde did well to block Garcia's shot.
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- Real Madrid was clearly looking to deny Barcelona space and
Antonio Rudiger and Raul Asencio were lucky to escape bookings for challenges
from behind, before Barca took the lead in the 28th minute.
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- Yamal again found space and took his time before slipping
the ball to Pedri, who ran in from deep to place a wonderful shot past Courtois
into the corner of the net.
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- That brought Real Madrid forward more, with Bellingham
sliding the ball into the Barca net only for his 'goal' to be ruled out for
offside.
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- It was almost 2-0 shortly before halftime when Dani Olmo's
corner evaded everyone, but bounced clear off the inside of the post.
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- Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti was brave in the second half
with Mbappe starting the second half and Arda Guler and Luka Modric soon
joining him in the action and the freshened up Madrid side began to cause Barca
a lot of problems with their pace.
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- Mbappe forced a block from the previously unoccupied
Wojciech Szczesny, who produced two fine saves to frustrate Vinicius.
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- He could do nothing to stop Mbappe levelling with a free
kick from just outside of the area with 20 minutes left to play.
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- Seven minutes later Madrid was ahead after Aurelien
Tchouameni ghosted in unmarked to power home a header as his side forced a
string of corners.
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- The title looked Madrid's to lose, but Barca found an
equalizer when Yamal hit the ball over the top of Madrid defense, Courtois went
walkabout and Ferran Torres rolled the ball in from a tight angle.
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- Barca had two penalty appeals turned down in injury time,
with the VAR overturning the referee's decision in the 96th minute after
Raphinha went down under Asencio's challenge.
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- That took the game into extra time, where Kounde would prove
to be decisive as tensions threatened to boil over and Madrid's Antonio Rudiger
needing to be restrained after appearing to throw a bottle at the referee in
protest at a late decision.
