Jules Kounde Shot Barcelona to Copa del Rey Victory Over Real Madrid
Barcelona won the Copa del Rey for the 32nd time after a hard-fought final against Real Madrid, stretching into extra time to win by 3-2.
Madrid came from behind twice to level the scoresheet before Jules Kounde wrenched their efforts in the extra time. Barcelona had the stronger hand in the game, but Madrid capitalized on set pieces to level up, only to forfeit all.
Lamine Yamal picked up Pedri with a pass and struck the ball down the bottom right of the goal. Kylian Mbappe restored Madrid to the game, scoring from a free-kick midway through the second half.
Aurelien Tchouamen added the second for Madrid with a header following a corner before Ferran Torres leveled for Barcelona, latching onto Yamal's through pass. He beat Courtois and struck the ball into the empty net. With five minutes left in the extra time, Kounde blasted a 20-yard shot, beating Courtois to the net.
Losing the silverware to Barcelona meant Real Madrid would have to revamp their La Liga title chase. They trail Barcelona in second place by four points.
Overview
As pleasant as it may seem for Barcelona, it was otherwise for Madrid, who were emotional to lose despite the comeback. They gradually built resilience against Barcelona, increasing the pace to reduce their opponents' dominance. The game stretched into extra time with the shootout in view. Barcelona turned the tide midway.
Madrid could not just go the distance to complete the comeback. Barcelona refused to be fatigued and found the loophole for a strike from Jules Kounde. The defender made up for his flop that led to Tchouameni's equalizer. However, Barcelona had been in a better position to put the game to rest, and that got what they deserved for their efforts.
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