Real Madrid five-time champion of the European Super Cup
This Wednesday the final of the European Super Cup between Real Madrid and Eintracht Frankfurt was held at the Olympic Stadium in Helsinki, Finland.
The match is played between the UEFA Champions League champions and the UEFA Europa League winners, and this time the team led by Carlo Ancelotti was once again the winner, obtaining its fifth trophy in the tournament.
Real Madrid started the season on the right foot, as in the previous one they were champions of La Liga and the Champions League. It remains pending for the merengue team to play the Spanish Super Cup and the Club World Cup, both tournaments will be held in the first months of 2023.
On this occasion, the Italian coach played the match with the same line-up from the Champions League final against Liverpool, with Courtois in goal; Carvajal, Militao, Alaba and Mendy in the defense line; Modric, Casemiro and Kross in midfield and Valverde, Benzema and Vinicius in attack.
For his part, the Austrian coach Oliver Glasner came out with Trapp under the three sticks; Ndicka, Lucas Melo and Touré in defense; Lenz, Sow, Rode and Knauff in midfield; Kamada, Lindstrom and Santos Borré in the attack.
It should be noted that before the game Karim Benzema was awarded as the best player in the UEFA Champions League and Vinicius and Knauff as the best young players in the Champions League and the Europa League respectively.
After the award ceremony, the match began in Finland and Madrid quickly tried to impose conditions, dominating the ball and trying to direct some attacks to the goal defended by Trapp. However, neither was convincing and Eintracht defended well, but at minute 14, Courtois saved the first shot on goal, this time by Kamada.
Then, at 16', one of the clearest chances of the match occurred. Valverde directs an attack from the right and takes an excellent cross that Benzema has left at the edge of the area, but the Frenchman gives it to Vinicius, who, without a mark, takes a cross shot to the right post, beating Trapp, but Tuta takes it out on the goal line.
At 23', Frankfurt responds. Militao intercepts Borré's initiative, but then Knauff takes a shot that ends up being caught by Courtois. The Belgian would again be a figure in this match.
The next 15 minutes would be more disputed, with fewer arrivals from both teams and a fight for possession of the ball. At minute 37, Vinicius again has a clear one. The Brazilian escaped at speed down the left wing and cutting to the right, it remains for his profile to hit him crosswise down, but Trapp deflects the corner with his fingers.
But the next move, the taking of the corner kick, ended in the first goal of the match. Kross took the corner and Benzema disputed it with two centre-backs, the ball seemed to go back to the corner, but Casemiro, seeing Alaba alone, headed it to the Austrian who was totally unmarked. The center-back defined with his left foot, sending it to the back of the net.
Once again, Madrid was able to score the second at 40'. Kross directs an attack down the right flank and sends a cross to the edge of the box. Benzema receives and hits him with the outside of his foot, but the shot goes a little across the left post of the goal. The first half would end with the advantage for the minimum of the white team.
The second half began with several attempts by both teams to attack the opposing goals. The first clear attack was from Madrid through Vinicius at 54'. The Brazilian wins a ball in the center of the area and takes a left-footed shot that hits Benzema and he goes wide, but the German team's goalkeeper manages to stop the ball.
After the previous play, the coach of the German team led to two changes. Rode and Lindström left and Götze and Muani entered. Two dangerous plays from Madrid would come later. Valverde at 59' led an attack whose shot by the Uruguayan ended up catching the goalkeeper.
The next move would come after an excellent triangulation between Modric, Kross and Casemiro. The ball remains for the Brazilian, who decides to hit him with his left foot from the edge of the area, but the shot hit the crossbar. At 63', Frankfurt launched an attack led by Knauff, who hit him with a cross. Close to the tie the Germans.
But at 65 ' the play of the last goal of the match would take place. The attack was directed by Vinicius down the left wing and he assisted Benzema at the edge of the area and the Frenchman hit him first, a right hand that entered the middle and Trapp was unable to deflect it. Final 2-0 and Madrid is crowned champion for the fifth time in the European tournament.
The remaining minutes would be calmer, although the Germans would try to discount, but to no avail. Ancelotti would move the bench. First he changed Modric for Rodrygo. Then Valverde for Camavinga. At 84' he placed Ceballos, Rüdiger and Tchouameni for Vinicius, Kroos and Carvajal.
The minutes would pass and Eintracht would be left without the coveted trophy. Madrid raises the cup and prepares for the start of the league this weekend.