Spanish Super Cup, Real Madrid-Barcelona 3-2 in extra time

Too much Madrid for a hard-to-die but still immature Barça. The first semifinal of the Spanish Super Cup gives emotions for 120 ‘before ending up prey to a Real who reaffirms the supremacy of recent years against their historical rivals: in the setting of Riyadh, the Blancos in fact put their fifth success in the last six Clasicos on the farm. For Ancelotti’s gang, which has already spread the blaugrana in the Liga in mid-October, it is also the fourth consecutive success in the Super Cup over the Catalans, who this time surrender after a long battle. A decisive seal in the 98th minute by Valverde, author of the 3-2 final after the double Blaugrana comeback with De Jong and Ansu Fati. As usual, Benzema was deadly, the protagonist of an assist, a post and a goal. Now the Blancos await the winner of Thursday’s match between Atletico and Athletic.

THE CHOICES

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Ancelotti recovers Carvajal, but has to give up presenting the “l’nce de gala” due to a last-minute unforeseen event in Alaba, stopped as a precaution after a muscular fatigue accused in the last training session. In place of the Austrian, the experienced Nacho is good for all occasions. For the rest, midfield and trident of order with Asensio together with Benzema and Vinicius. In front, a Barça with a specular form that finds an army of big players, although not all able to start from the beginning: behind, in a defense with a vintage flavor with Alves and Alba on the lanes, there is the Uruguayan Araujo , while De Jong sees himself in the middle after the hand operation he underwent at the beginning of the week. The big news is in attack, because together with De Jong and Dembélé there is the new signing Ferran Torres, making his absolute debut in Blaugrana. Only the bench initially for Fati, Pedri and a darkened Depay (all of them, however, in the second half).

QUEEN COUPLE

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To make the game are the Blancos, who manage to dribble the high pressure of the Catalans thanks to the dribble properties and the constant movement without the ball. The rhythm of the game, to tell the truth, is quite staid, and to ignite the Riyadh audience are above all the flare-ups of the individuals. Above all, those of the pair of goals currently queen in Europe, namely Benzema-Vinicius, who on 25 ‘puts a hand on the 30th goal of the season thanks to a lightning-fast vertical cue: first intention launch by the French and a shot by the Brazilian in the central corridor before blasting Ter Stegen under the crossbar. The two are well assisted by an Asensio on the ball that touches the goal in two circumstances, wasting the knockout blow by a whisker.

THE PARTY RIDER

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Failure to double the Madrid team ends up giving hope to an imprecise Barça despite the commitment and the will to constantly attack the opponent. But Ferran Torres needs time to tune in with his teammates and the maneuver is still rather predictable. However, the Blaugrana find the strength to react thanks to the good will of Luke De Jong, protagonist of the only two real chances of the first half hour, and thanks to a good dose of luck in the 41st minute, when the Dutchman manages to mock Courtois thanks to a rebound on postponement of Militao. The Dutchman’s paw and Xavi’s changes in the interval (in Pedri and Abde for De Jong and an awkward Ferran Torres) change the inertia of the challenge for a good half hour, during which the Catalans take the upper hand by trying on three occasions.

ALWAYS BENZEMA

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It is the most difficult moment for the people of Madrid, who, however, find the guide of their lighthouse. After almost an hour behind the scenes, Benzema finally breaks in to give a new twist to the evening: the Frenchman launches a first warning in the 69th minute with a left that hits the post, then signs the doubling thanks to a quick tap-off. in close range on an assist from Carvajal. It could end like this, also because the Blancos seem in perfect control. But the Blaugrana youth found the courage to pour forward and above all the freshness to further crack the certainties of the Blancos. He does so with the hand of Ansu Fati, who in 83 ‘comes out between the two central opponents to punch Courtois with his head on the precise center of Alba.

LETHAL COUNTERPIECE

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So we go to extra time, with a revived and revived Barça. Maybe too much, because Xavi’s boys decide to attack en masse, exposing themselves to the deadly opponents restarts. The first, branded Vinicius, fails. The second, inspired by Casemiro and packaged by Rodrygo, finds instead the winning conclusion of Valverde from a close position. This time it is really the final blow for the Blaugrana, who try with tenacity but lack of clarity. Pedri and Abde give the last jolts, then the exultation of Ancelotti, who will play another title on Sunday evening.