Barcelona vs. Real Madrid Supercopa lessons Barca turn a corner as Vinicius, Benzema cover Real’s flaws

Wednesday’s Supercopa de Espana clash between Clasico rivals didn’t disappoint, as Real Madrid hung on to defeat Barcelona 3-2 in front of an enthusiastic crowd in Saudi Arabia. (Stream highlights here: U.S. only.) After Barca twice battled back from a goal down to take the game to extra time, Federico Valverde’s 98th-minute goal settled the affair and put Carlo Ancelotti’s side through to Sunday’s final, where they’ll take on Athletic Club or Atletico Madrid for the title.

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So what did we learn about these two super-clubs from Wednesday night? Alex Kirkland (Real Madrid) and Sam Marsden (Barcelona) break down the game from both perspectives.

Real Madrid: Class of Vinicius, Benzema masks some legitimate issues

Real Madrid’s win here was, in a sense, their season to date in a nutshell. The victory highlighted some of their notable strengths — and they will be enough to see them through most games — but it exposed some concerning weaknesses, too, some of which may cost them in more important competitions than this midseason Supercopa.

Let’s start with the positives. In the first half, the team looked bracingly direct and clinical, with Vinicius Junior cutting inside to cue the attack and Karim Benzema and Luka Modric pulling the strings. Vinicius’ 25th-minute opener was a case study in exactly how far he’s come as a player, as he made a difficult chance look effortless.

When they go up against all but the very best opposition, the sheer quality of Madrid’s best players will tend to get them through. Benzema set up Vinicius for his opener with a carefully weighted pass and took his own 72nd-minute goal with typical composure, having forced a good save from Marc-Andre ter Stegen moments earlier.

Madrid have a well-built, deep squad too, even if coach Carlo Ancelotti is reluctant to make full use of it. Rodrygo, Lucas…