Vinicius Junior’s first-half hat-trick propelled Real Madrid to a resounding 4-1 victory over a 10-man Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final in Riyadh.

The Brazilian capitalized on Barcelona’s lax high line, scoring twice within the first 10 minutes. Robert Lewandowski pulled one back for Barcelona just after the half-hour mark. However, Vinicius completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot in the 39th minute after being fouled by Ronald Araujo. Rodrygo sealed the one-sided win in the second half.

Araujo’s dismissal in the 71st minute further compounded Barcelona’s woes. Real Madrid, under Carlo Ancelotti, maintained their recent dominance over their rivals, having also won October’s El Clasico. They currently sit seven points ahead of Barcelona in LaLiga.

The match marked an opportunity for Barcelona to retaliate, but their decision to adopt a risky high defensive line backfired. Vinicius capitalized on the space, rounding Inaki Pena for the opener and later converting Rodrygo’s cross.

Despite Barcelona’s efforts, hitting the bar through Ferran Torres and testing Real’s goalkeeper Andriy Lunin, Lewandowski’s goal, and a defensive error leading to a penalty allowed Real to establish a two-goal lead at halftime.

Barcelona’s attempted comeback was marred by Araujo’s second yellow card for fouling Vinicius, while Rodrygo extended Real’s lead in the 64th minute. The result marked a victorious night for Jude Bellingham, celebrating his first trophy with Real.

With the job done, Ancelotti withdrew Vinicius and Bellingham in the closing stages, with focus shifting to the upcoming Copa del Rey showdown against Atletico Madrid on Wednesday.