Cristiano Ronaldo looked down from his private box, Gareth Bale watched from the bench, and on the pitch – showing no signs of missing either of them – Real Madrid destroyed a Barcelona side to win the Spanish Super Cup.
Philippe Coutinho and Ousmane Dembele’s prices can be cranked up a little further after this because Barcelona’s board have no choice but to strengthen before the window shuts. Today they will present former Tottenham midfielder Paulinho, not quite the first post-Neymar signing their supporters had in mind.
Real Madrid were without their two most expensive players as Ronaldo began a five-game ban for pushing a referee and Bale was dropped to the bench to make way for 21-year-old Marco Asensio.
The young Spaniard hit a ferocious drive with his left foot which flew and fizzed through the air before hitting the top corner
Losing the first leg of Spanish Super Cup 3-1 at the Nou Camp, Barcelona’s challenge became harder after just four minutesIt was the youngster’s rocket shot from 35-yards out on four minutes that made it 1-0 and set the tone for a first half mauling. He cost just 4.5m euros two seasons ago; in today’s inflated market he would cost well over the 100m mark.
Karim Benzema doubled the lead on 39 minutes pulling away from a static Samuel Umtiti to blast past Marc Andre ter Stegen.
It was 2-0 at half time but it could have been far worse. Barcelona were in pieces. In one early raid Luis Suarez sprinted clear but when he pulled the ball back to where Neymar would have been racing in last season, there was no one to convert.
Ter Stegen kicked the ball straight out of play as Barça passes were misplaced all over the pitch and Real Madrid played around them for fun.
Asensio could easily have scored again from a Benzema cut-back and on the other wing Lucas Vazquez hit a post. United wanted Bale this summer and Ronaldo wanted United or Paris Saint Germain. This really was evidence that had either left, Madrid’s vibrant band of young guns would have made sure the club coped.
Towards the end of the first half some Real Madrid players went to the touchline in the 30-degree heat to take on water. The Barcelon players were struggling to come up for air.
When the ball ran out of play Zidane killed it dead with his first touch in the technical area. Even their manager is special. This was his seventh trophy win in one and a half years.
Messi is surrounded by Real Madrid players on what proved to be a frustrating evening for the Barcelona forward
Real Madrid’s Brazilian left back Marcelo puts his foot on the ball as he looks to get past Barcelona’s Sergi Roberto
Real Madrid’s French international defender Raphael Varane nips in ahead of Barcelona forward Luis Suarez
Dani Carvajal nutmegged Suarez as the home side just seemed to get better and better. There were now more flicks than a tiddly-winks tournament and each one was given an Olé by home supporters who taunted Gerard Pique with cries of ‘He stays’ when he was taken off in the second half. Pique had famously tweeted that Neymar was staying. How he must wish it had been so.
Messi hit the bar six minutes into the second half. He has still not signed his new contract and is four months from being able to negotiate a move away from the club. He wont desert the sinking ship but perhaps he will delay putting pen to paper all the time club is in this state. Premier League clubs will be watching.
Suarez, who finished the match hobbling with a right-knee injury kept battling and he hit the post with a diving header with Barcelona’s best second half chance. He will be hoping to see his former Liverpool team-mate Coutinho brought in sooner rather than later.
For Bale and Ronaldo there need be no such rush to come back. Asensio was given a standing ovation when he was taken off with 15 minutes left. He is the future of a team that will be everyone’s benchmark in the Champions League this season.
MATCH HIGHLIGHT
The ref blows for what everyone assumes is an early full-time – both teams would welcome that, for different reasons – but it’s for a foul. That gives Mascherano enough time to get booked for a nasty lunging tackle. A minute later, the game is done and the Super Cup is theirs.
76 min: Barcelona have dominated the last 10 minutes: but Real Madrid have let them dominate, happy to rest up on their comfy four-goal cushion. Suarez goes down in a heap. It’s safe to say the Real Madrid fans are not sympathetic. Alba comes off for Digne.
68 min: Real are Barcelona-ing Barcelona at the moment, keeping possession as their rivals chase the ball.
58 min: A replay off Benzema’s shot earlier shows Ter Stegen didn’t know much about his save: it ricocheted off his shoulder. Messi has come into the game a little more in the last 10 minutes.
52 min: Benzema gallops forward but is stopped by Mascherano. Barcelona aren’t really looking like they’re scoring four goals anytime soo… and Messi hits the bar. He wanders into the box and thrashes the ball on to the underside of the bar but it bounces out to safety. That sums up Barcelona’s night so far.
Half-time: The ref takes pity on Barcelona and whistles exactly on 45 minutes. Lionel Messi does not look happy.
GOAL! Real Madrid 2-0 Barcelona (Benzema 38 min)
24 min: Asensio has another chance to score after Benzema holds up the ball well. But his shot is deflected out for a corner. Which ends a pretty good run:
17 min: Of course, no sooner do I say Messi has been quiet than he slaloms his way past a few players and nearly scores. It takes a quick reaction from Navas to stop him: the keeper rushes out and gets the ball away.
9 min: Real continue to press. The positives for Barcelona are that they have plenty of time to come back and … that’s it. They do have an attack of sorts but it peters out without a shot on target.
GOAL! Real Madrid 1-0 Barcelona (Asensio, 4min)
It’s all Real early on. Benzema scampers out to the wing to deliver a cross, which is blocked. It’s Real who look like the team chasing the lead so far. And there they go! It’s a fantastic strike from Asensio, whose dipping, curling shot from distance gives Ter Stegen no chance.
