Barcelona clinched their fifth Spanish Supercup in seven years early on Thursday with a heart-stopping, stormy 3-2 home defeat of spirited Real Madrid.


Barca took their trophy on a 5-4 aggregate because the first leg, played on Sunday in Madrid, was a 2-2 draw.
Lionel Messi was the star of the show in a packed Camp Nou, as he usually is in Los Clasicos. The FIFA World Player set up the first Barca goal for Andres Iniesta before scoring two himself.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema scored for Real, who were just three minutes from taking the contest into extra-time.
Real’s Marcelo and Mesut Ozil were sent off in an ugly scuffle at the end, together with Barca’s David Villa.
Real coach Jose Mourinho poked Barca’s assistant coach, Tito Vilanova, in the eye, in an incident that could bring him yet another suspension from the Spanish federation.
Afterward, Mourinho claimed not to know who Vilanova was, and refused to criticize defender Marcelo, whose horrid foul on Cesc Fabregas sparked the injury-time scuffle.
The Portuguese coach said: “We have played well over the two matches. I have nothing to reproach my players with.” Real keeper Iker Casillas claimed that “a draw would have been a fairer result, given the effort that we made tonight.” Emilio Butragueno, former Real player and now director, said: “Overall, it was a good advert for Spanish football. We have seen the best two teams in the world.” Fabregas, who made his long-awaited Barca debut as a late sub, said: “I am very happy after that. It was a great start. I was pleased to go onto the field. I just want to help the team to carry on, winning trophies.” Villa, one of the three players sent off in the ugly finale, called it “just one of those things that sometimes happen in football.” It was Barca’s third consecutive Supercup and the 11th major trophy for coach Pep Guardiola in his astonishing three-year reign.
Guardiola is now level on trophies atop the Barca all-time coaching list with his mentor Johan Cruyff, who was on the Barca bench from 1988-96.
The match did not start until 11 pm because there were Champions League qualifying matches earlier on Wednesday.
Real made the same aggressive start as in the first leg, pressing Barca hard in midfield and getting the ball forward quickly. Ronaldo forced a sharp save from keeper Victor Valdes after just one minute.
The hosts went ahead in the 14th minute with their very first attack. Messi beat two men cutting inside from the right and set up Iniesta with a perfect pass. Spain’s World Cup hero made it 1-0 with a calm finish in front of Iker Casillas.
Real, though, levelled just five minutes later. The Barca defence failed to clear a corner, and Karim Benzema centred for Ronaldo to poke the ball home at the far post, despite a suspicion of offside.
It was Ronaldo’s first goal in the Camp Nou in five visits. He almost put Real ahead with a thunderous drive, which Valdes managed to push onto his crossbar.
Valdes then kept out a low drive from Ozil, with Real breaking through almost at will.
Against the run of play, just before half-time, Messi made it 2-1 with a deft right-foot finish, after being set up by a backheel from Gerard Pique.
Barca tried to control possession in the second half, and Guardiola brought on prodigal son Fabregas in order to dominate in midfield.
Nevertheless, Benzema made it 2-2 nine minutes from time after the shaky Barca defence had made a complete mess of clearing a corner.
Just three minutes from time, Messi settled the issue by making it 3-2 with a classy volley, after a good Adriano centre from the right.
Then came Marcelo’s horrible foul on Fabregas, and the unseemly melee ensued, taking some of the shine off a pulsating match.
Because of the strike called by the Spanish players union, Barca will not play until August 26, when they face Europa League winners FC Porto in the European Supercup in Monte Carlo — with Guardiola looking for his 11th trophy.