European Super Cup, Real-Eintracht 2-0: Alaba and Benzema

The successes, the records, the trophies. The greatness of Ancelotti and Real Madrid is to have made them normal and to share them together. Helsinki is the setting for the umpteenth conquest of King Charles, who raises cup number 23 as a coach and becomes the coach to have won the European Super Cup several times (4), while it is the fifth success for the Spaniards who hook up in the register of gold of the competition the record holders Milan and Barcelona. The gap is not as wide as in the last precedent, when the two teams faced each other in the final of the Champions Cup in 1960 with Puskas and Di Stefano protagonists of the 7-3 in favor of the Blancos. In any case, the substance does not change, the signatures at the bottom are “only” those of Alaba and Benzema, one for time.

THE MATCH

–

The only debut is that of the semi-automatic offside. Because if it is true that a winning team does not change, Real Madrid and Eintracht rely on the eleven holders of the last Champions and Europa League finals. Where possible at least, because Glasner cannot field Kostic, who is formalizing his move to Juventus: in his place the more defensive Lenz from the first minute. The German coach repeats Kamada behind Borré, while against Bayern Munich in the defeat with which the Bundesliga opened he had opted for Gotze. The choice could pay the hoped-for dividends after only fourteen minutes of the match, when Knauff steals the ball from Mendy and hands it over to Borré; the attacker’s touch is perfect to serve the Japanese cut, but in front of Courtois his legs tremble and he kicks him.

The race in the initial stages respects expectations: the Spaniards play the game, Eintracht prefers compactness without raising the center of gravity, waits and starts again despite the thrust of 10 thousand fans who arrived in Helsinki from Germany on the 30 thousand present. The response from Madrid arrives at 17 ‘: at the end of a good choral action, Valverde finds Benzema in the center of the area, who in turn supports Vinicius. The right is directed to the corner, but Tuta literally removes the ball from the goal by throwing himself into a slide. The rhythms rise, Knauff forces Courtois to save with a sharp conclusion at the near post (24 ‘), which the Belgian however foils without too much difficulty. Real’s Brazilian winger tries again in the 37th minute, again with a low shot at the far post, this time it is Trapp who opposes him by deflecting for a corner. On the developments of the corner, the match is unlocked: Benzema raises a bell tower, Casemiro heads the bank for Alaba, who all alone in the area must only support with an empty goal. Eintracht feels the blow and a few minutes later risks also conceding the second goal from the French, who unusually does not frame the goal from the edge of the area on the suggestion of Kroos.

SECOND HALF

–

It does not change the script in the second half. The first opportunity happens on the feet of Vinicius, who turns Mendy’s cross towards the goal; Trapp is careful in the circumstance and rejects (54 ‘). Glasner is not satisfied, he does not see the shock he was hoping for after returning from the locker room and so he tries to give it from the bench by increasing the quality forward: inside Gotze and Kolo Muani, outside Rode and Lindstrom with Kamada retreating in midfield. The Eintracht shirts inevitably widen and Casemiro took advantage of the space between the departments, but the left footed from outside him printed on the crossbar in the 60th minute. The doubling comes five minutes later, after a weak conclusion by Knauff, and the signing is the most awaited: Vinicius fishes Benzema well to the limit, the Frenchman opens the pot of first intention and puts Trapp, author of an uncertain intervention, probably overshadowed by a teammate. The final does not reserve any twists and turns, Real’s possession is articulated even more easily thanks to the unbalanced structure of the Germans, also because Casemiro – best in the field for detachment – is an impassable wall in front of the defense. Ancelotti thus grants the last minutes to Tchouameni and Rudiger, the new faces of the summer. His habits, on the other hand, always remain the same.