Late Ousmane Dembele goal hands Barcelona Spanish Super Cup crown

Updated: May 17, 2023, 05:29 am

TANGIER, MOROCCO -- Barcelona lifted the Spanish Super Cup for a record-extending 13th time by coming from behind to beat Sevilla 2-1 on Sunday thanks to a stunning strike from France winger Ousmane Dembele and a penalty save in stoppage time from Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

King's Cup runners-up Sevilla took a surprise lead in the traditional curtain-raiser to the season against Barcelona when Pablo Sarabia fired home in the ninth minute after Luis Muriel had powered his way through the Barca defence.

The video assistant referee (VAR) was used for the first time in Spanish football to award the goal, which had initially been ruled offside.

Gerard Pique levelled for Barca shortly before half-time by pouncing on the rebound after Lionel Messi's free kick had ricocheted off the post, while Sevilla's Franco Vazquez glanced a header off the crossbar in the second half in Tangier, Morocco.

Barcelona won their record 13th Spanish Super Cup with a 2-1 win on Sunday over Sevilla.
Barcelona won their record 13th Spanish Super Cup with a 2-1 win on Sunday over Sevilla.
FADEL SENNA/AFP/Getty Images

The competition, which ditched its traditional two-legged format and was also played outside Spain for the first time, looked to be headed for extra-time until Dembele let fly from outside the area and his shot thumped in off the crossbar in the 78th minute.

Sevilla had a golden late chance to force extra-time when former Barca player Aleix Vidal was fouled by Ter Stegen in the 89th minute, but substitute Wissam Ben Yedder struck his penalty softly along the ground and the towering German goalkeeper comfortably caught the ball.

The win makes Messi Barcelona's most decorated player of all time with 33 trophies, one more than former midfielder Andres Iniesta. The Argentine lifted his first piece of silverware with Barca as club captain.