Barça’s Copa win shows Real have more to worry about than refs

SEVILLE, Spain — Jules Koundé was Barcelona’s unlikely hero as they came from behind to beat Real Madrid 3-2 after extra-time at La Cartuja on Saturday to win the Copa del Rey after a gruelling Clásico battle.

With penalties looming, Koundé intercepted a stray pass in the 116th minute and fired a low effort into the bottom corner to seal what Barça hope will be the first trophy of a possible treble this season.

Madrid had earlier come from behind themselves, with substitute Kylian Mbappé and Aurélien Tchouaméni each scoring in seven second-half minutes to cancel out Pedri’s first-half opener.

However, Ferran Torres rounded Thibaut Courtois in the 84th minute to send the game into extra-time, although not before referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea had overturned his original decision to award a stoppage-time penalty for Raúl Asencio’s challenge on Raphinha.

Barça hope LaLiga and the UEFA Champions League will follow, although Madrid may have something to say about the league. The teams meet again at the Olympic Stadium on May 11 in a match which could potentially decide the title.

Ref drama peaks with 96th-minute penalty call.

There was only one guarantee going into this final: that referee Bengoetxea and VAR Pablo González Fuertes would be subjected to an unprecedented degree of scrutiny and scepticism, from a Real Madrid perspective. That much was assured by Friday’s pre-game hysteria, when De Burgos’ news conference tears — and more importantly, González’s warning of “measures” to be taken by referees over Real Madrid TV’s videos — were followed by Madrid’s skipping of the pre-match formalities, and suggestions they were considering boycotting the final itself. Madrid later denied those “rumours” but slammed the “hostility and animosity” they said the officials had shown towards the club. So naturally, from the moment De Burgos stepped out onto the pitch at La Cartuja — and González into the VAR booth — every decision, whether controversial or not, was viewed through that prism.

In the first half, there were no huge, match-turning refereeing calls; but as always, there were a number of decisions fiercely contested by both sides. In the 16th minute, the ball struck Federico Valverde’s hand inside the box. De Burgos waved away Barcelona’s penalty appeals. Barcelona were unhappy when Dani Ceballos wasn’t booked for a challenge on Lamine Yamal, and when Tchouameni got a yellow card, rather than a red, for a foul on Dani Olmo. Ceballos went unpunished for a clash with Yamal, and then was fortunate again in the 43rd minute, when no action was taken for a shirt pull on Pau Cubarsí.

But all that was just a prelude to what happened much later, in added time. In the 96th minute — seconds left on the clock — Raphinha appeared to be brought down by Raul Asencio. Penalty. Barcelona’s players and fans were ecstatic. Here was the chance for the winner, with no time for a reply. But then, a long VAR check. González Fuertes called De Burgos across to take another look at the incident on the pitch-side monitor. After moments of unbearable tension, De Burgos signalled for the award to be overturned. In real time, it had looked like a spot kick; replays suggested Raphinha had gone to ground easily. Here was that potentially match-defining moment, and it had gone in Real Madrid’s favour.

Koundé’s extra-time winner meant the outcome was unchanged, and Madrid’s players ended the final angry at De Burgos, anyway. Rudiger — substituted minutes earlier — was dismissed for throwing an object onto the pitch, Lucas Vázquez was red carded too, while staff had to prevent Jude Bellingham and others from confronting De Burgos. One key decision going Madrid’s way won’t change anything. Too much has been said and done, and Madrid’s demands for root-and-branch reform of refereeing in Spain won’t go away.