‘This is the least important of the competitions’ — Sour Alonso downplays Super Cup loss to Barcelona

Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso attempted to shift focus quickly after his side fell to a narrow 3–2 defeat against Barcelona in the Spanish Supercopa final.

Despite the pain of losing an El Clásico and missing out on his first trophy as Madrid boss, Alonso insisted the setback should not define their season.

Barcelona successfully defended their Supercopa de España title thanks to a standout display from Raphinha, who stole the spotlight with a brace either side of a Robert Lewandowski strike.

Real Madrid threatened a comeback but ultimately fell short, with Vinícius Júnior and Gonzalo García finding the net for Los Blancos in a pulsating final.

The match swung back and forth, and Madrid came agonisingly close to forcing extra time late on, but Barcelona held firm to seal another trophy.

For Alonso, it marked his first defeat against Barcelona since taking charge of Real Madrid and denied him the chance to lift silverware early in his reign.

Speaking after the final whistle, a visibly disappointed Alonso admitted the loss stung but was keen to put it into perspective.

“Losing hurts. It was an evenly matched and competitive game,” he said. “There were moments for everything. You’re left with the bitter taste of those last chances, when we came so close to equalizing.”

The former midfielder was quick to downplay the importance of the Supercopa in the broader context of the season. “We have to turn the page as soon as possible. This is the least important of the competitions we have. We have to congratulate Barcelona,” Alonso added.

Alonso also highlighted his team’s attitude and commitment, despite their failure to make a late numerical advantage count. “The team showed great attitude and commitment,” he explained.

“We barely conceded in the first 30 minutes. In the second half, we played well down the left with Vini. We conceded from a rebound to make it 3–2, and I was convinced we'd have chances to equalize. We lacked the finishing touch to force penalties.”

Despite dominating late stages and creating big chances in stoppage time, Real Madrid could not find the decisive goal, leaving Alonso to reflect on a painful but, in his words, ultimately minor setback in a long season ahead.