Sports Desk:

Barcelona has launched its bid for a treble after edging Real Madrid 3-2 in a thrilling Copa del Rey final with Jules Koundé scoring an extra-time winner on Saturday.

Right back Koundé pounced on a pass by Luka Modric and fired into the low corner of Thibaut Courtois’ net for the 116th-minute decider.

Barcelona will carry momentum from its record-extending 32nd Copa del Rey title into Wednesday’s start of its Champions League semifinal series against Inter Milan. It also leads La Liga by four points over Madrid.

Pedri González dictated the game for Barcelona from midfield and scored from long range to take a 28th minute-lead at La Cartuja Stadium.

Madrid rallied with two second-half goals, with Kylian Mbappé coming off the bench at halftime and scoring from a free kick in the 70th and midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni’s header in the 77th making it 2-1.

Ferran Torres leveled in the 84th to force extra time.

Barcelona has beaten Madrid in all three of the clasicos this season, including a 5-2 rout in the Spanish Super Cup final in January after winning 4-0 at Madrid in the league in October.

“This was such a physically demanding game, but we showed that we are a great team that never gives up,” said Torres, who filled in perfectly for the injured Robert Lewandowski.

The loss to its fierce rival was another blow to Madrid after it was knocked out of the Champions League quarterfinals by Arsenal. This could have been its last title decider with Carlo Ancelotti in charge. The Italian coach said he will decide his future this summer amid speculation he is bound to take over Brazil.

Ancelotti, when asked about his future, said: “As I have said, I can continue, I can stop, it will be a topic for the coming weeks.”

While Ancelotti’s second stint in Madrid appears to be coming to an end, Hansi Flick has only added to his superb first season with Barcelona. The German coach has invigorated a group of players who seemed spent under Xavi Hernández and helped young players such as Lamine Yamal and Pau Cubarsí continue to grow into stars.

“I have to say thanks to the team because they had an unbelievable performance,” Flick said. “A huge win in the Copa final is great for everyone and it gives us confidence for more.”

King Felipe VI awarded the trophy to Barcelona captains Ronald Araujo and Marc-Andre ter Stegen, after the monarch returned to Spain following his attendance at the funeral of Pope Francis.

The trophy is the first piece needed to repeat a treble that Barcelona won under Pep Guardiola in 2009 and Luis Enrique in 2015.

Red for Rudiger on bench

Madrid’s Antonio Rudiger was shown a red card by the referee in the final moments when he apparently threw wice at the referee and shouted aggressively.

Jude Bellingham and Lucas Vázquez were also shown red cards for protesting.

Barcelona dominates first half

One of the biggest rivalries in global soccer was again a tale of two halves – until Torres scored the late equalizer against the flow of play to renew Barcelona’s prospects.

Barcelona dominated the first half with its ball control and a pressure defense that was quick to recover the ball.

The only semblance of a Madrid attack came when Bellingham was able to spin away from his marker.

But a Bellingham pass intercepted by Cubarsí cued Barcelona’s opener. Pedri lobbed forward for Yamal, breaking down the flank. The 17-year-old phenom – sporting a new dyed-blond hairdo – threaded a pass back to the top of the box, where Pedri arrived to blast it home.

Mbappé sparks Madrid fightback

Mbappé started the game on the bench after injuring his ankle last week. But Ancelotti sent his striker on at halftime to replace Rodrygo. Modric and playmaker Arda Guler soon followed.

The changes helped Madrid click, and the game became a back-and-forth contest with both teams creating scoring chances.

Wojciech Szczesny had to protect Barcelona’s lead with three saves to deny Vinícius Júnior and Mbappé. The goalkeeper could do nothing, however, to stop Mbappe after he earned a foul and fired a free kick low and just inside the post.

Tchouaméni rose up to head in a corner kick that Guler curled into to the edge of the six-yard box.

Barcelona finishes it off

“I told Ronald (Araujo) that it doesn’t matter if they score one goal, it doesn’t matter if they score two goals. They can’t hang with us,” Yamal said after his two-assist performance.

Turns out, he was right.

Yamal put a long ball behind the defense and Courtois mistimed his run out to intercept it, leaving Torres with an open net to tie it up.

Raphinha thought he had a penalty in the final minute of injury time after contact with Raúl Asencio. But the referee, who the day before the final denounced a campaign to discredit him by Real Madrid’s official club television, waived off his initial decision after consulting video.

With several players clearly exhausted in extra time the game appeared destined to finish in a penalty shootout. But that was when Koundé became the hero for the Catalan club.