Spanish Football: Jules Koundé, the French defender, promises Copa del Rey victory to FC Barcelona against Real Madrid
A French defender seals the deal for Barcelona:
On the 26th of April, 2025, Jules Koundé unleashed a stunning strike to clinch the Copa del Rey title for FC Barcelona, n соumbing Real Madrid 3-2 in a nail-biting fixture held at the Estadio de La Cartuja, Seville. With neither team dominating in regular time, the match ended 2-2, steering the contest into extra time. In stoppage time of the additional period, Koundé's remarkable goal sparked wild celebrations among Barca supporters.
As tensions ran high, the referee was under immense pressure with a series of questionable calls sparking angst from both sets of fans. Despite the controversies, officials managed to maintain neutrality, denying bold appeals from both clubs.
Koundé's Stunning Strike
The catalyst for Barcelona's historic triumph came from an unexpected source - a defender. Koundé exploited a risky pass from Luka Modric, slamming a right-footed shot from outside the box into the back of the net, sending the crowd into delirium.
Unsettled Referees and Offsides
While the refereeing decisions have generated heated debates, there's no concrete evidence of significant controversy in the game. However, el Classico encounters are notorious for intense scrutiny of officiating. In this match, both teams had goals disallowed – Real Madrid through Bellingham's offside goal and a contentious call against Vinicius's penalty, while Barcelona protested for a handball by Valverde and a brutal tackle on Tchouaméni, with only a yellow card being issued.
The first half found Barcelona in control, dominating the proceedings with Pedri finding the back of the net (28, 1-0). However, Real struggled to create chances until Mbappé entered the fray, testing Wojciech Szczesny on multiple occasions. The Merengue's top scorer scored his 34th goal of the season (70, 1-1), followed by Tchouaméni's strike (77, 2-1). Moments later, Ferran Torres equalized, senting the game into extra time (83, 2-2).
Despite Barca's initial dominance, Real had the opportunity to turn the tide with Mbappé's and Vinicius's impact in the second half, but it wasn't enough to unseat the Catalan giants. Instead, it was Koundé who proved to be the match-winner, securing a thrilling and unexpected victory for FC Barcelona.
- Jules Koundé, a French defender, secured an unexpected victory for FC Barcelona in the Copa del Rey final on April 26, 2025, by scoring a stunning goal, eventually clinching a 3-2 victory over Real Madrid.
- Despite some controversies surrounding refereeing decisions, including disallowed goals and debatable penalties, the referee maintained neutrality throughout the match, denying bold appeals from both clubs.
- Significantly, Koundé's goal came from outside the box and found the back of the net after exploiting a risky pass from Luka Modric, earning him the title of the match-winner.
- This victory marks a notable addition to FC Barcelona's illustrious history in European-leagues and Laliga, adding another trophy to their collection.
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