Real Madrid became the first club since Milan to win back-to-back Champions Leagues and European Super Cups after beating Manchester United 2-1.
Arrigo Sacchi and his Rossoneri were the last to achieve the double-double in 1989 and 1990.
Skopje in Macedonia played host to the European Super Cup Final, where Champions League winners Madrid took on Europa League holders Manchester United. Star man Cristiano Ronaldo was on the bench, though it made little difference to his side’s domination.
Real Madrid became the first club since Milan to win back-to-back Champions Leagues and European Super Cups after beating Manchester United 2-1.
Arrigo Sacchi and his Rossoneri were the last to achieve the double-double in 1989 and 1990.
Skopje in Macedonia played host to the European Super Cup Final, where Champions League winners Madrid took on Europa League holders Manchester United. Star man Cristiano Ronaldo was on the bench, though it made little difference to his side’s domination.
Casemiro thought he’d scored early on, but his header was denied by the crossbar, then fired another chance just over.
It was third time lucky, as Casemiro sprung the offside trap on a Dani Carvajal ball over the top and slid in to score from seven yards.
Zinedine Zidane’s Madrid absolutely dominated the first half and continued that after the break, David De Gea flying to beat away a Toni Kroos strike with one hand.
Manchester United only ever threatened on an occasional counter-attack, but the Spaniards doubled their lead in style. Isco completed a give-and-go with Gareth Bale to slice the defence open and stroke a precise finish into the far bottom corner.
Jose Mourinho’s men really should’ve pulled one back moments later, but Paul Pogba’s header was straight at Keylor Navas and £75m signing Romelu Lukaku blazed the rebound over.
Bale found a huge hole in the defence only to smash his finish against the crossbar from a tight angle, but Manchester United did eventually pull one back with a chance even Lukaku couldn’t miss. Navas only parried a Nemanja Matic snapshot into the path of the Belgian to tap in.
Marcus Rashford failed to finish off a huge opportunity, drilling wide from six yards when one-on-one with Navas, and in stoppages the goalkeeper plucked a Marouane Fellaini header out of the air.
Real Madrid immediately went down the other end, Lucas Vazquez – linked with Roma – dribbling past Matteo Darmian to set up Marco Asensio for another De Gea super-save.
This means eight of the last nine editions of the European Super Cup have gone to Spanish teams (plus one German).
Real Madrid 2-1 Man Utd
Casemiro 24 (RM), Isco 52 (RM), Lukaku 62 (MU)
Real Madrid: Keylor; Carvajal, Varane, Ramos, Marcelo; Modric, Casemiro, Kroos; Isco (Asensio 75), Bale (Vazquez 75), Benzema (Cristiano Ronaldo 83)
Manchester United: De Gea; Valencia, Lindelof, Smalling, Darmian; Pogba, Matic, Herrera (Fellaini 56); Lingard (Rashford 46), Lukaku, Mkhitaryan
Ref: Rocchi (ITA)