Real Madrid reach the final of the Spanish Super Cup
Scorer: Karim Benzema pen 39' - Samuel Lino 49'
In the 11m kick series, Karim Benzema, Luka Modric, Toni Kroos and Marco Asensio all successfully performed for Real. Meanwhile, Eray Comert shot over the bar in the second leg and Jose Gaya's shot in the middle was blocked by Thibaut Courtois in the deciding leg, causing Valencia to fall.
Real won their last four matches against Valencia in all competitions, their best winning streak against this opponent since a five-match streak from December 2009 to November 2011. Thanks to that, the royal team won the first ticket to the final of the Spanish Super Cup, and will meet the winner of the remaining semi-final between Barca and Real Betis taking place today.
In 2019, the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) reached an agreement of 43 million USD under a 10-year contract with the Saudi Sports Authority to increase the number of teams participating in the Spanish Super Cup from two to four, and to be held in China. Winter. Last season, Real beat Barca 3-2 in the semi-finals, then beat Athletic Bilbao 2-0 in the final to win the second title in three years.
At King Fahd Stadium, Riyadh yesterday, coach Ancelotti changed many positions compared to the 1-2 loss at Villarreal in the round of 16 La Liga on January 7. In defense, Nacho and Lucas Vazquez replaced Ferland Mendy and David Alaba, respectively. In the front line, Federico Valverde was pulled to the middle of the field to pair with Eduardo Camavinga, Toni Kroos, and the attacking trio was Rodrygo, Benzema and Vinicius.
These changes help Real play better when creating a series of delicious opportunities. In the 10th minute, Valverde poked a slot for Rodrygo to rush into the penalty area and finish off the post from a tight angle. Three minutes later, the 2022 Golden Ball Benzema passed three Valencia players, but was stopped by Cenk Ozkacar when he finished. In the 15th minute, it was Valverde's turn to fire a cannon from 25m away from the column.
The difference was made in the 37th minute, when Militao stretched out behind Valencia's defense to let Benzema down and penetrate the penalty area. Center-back Eray Comert chased and cut down Benzema from behind, costing Valencia a penalty. On the 11m mark, the French striker sank to the right corner, while goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili poured to the left. Thanks to that, Benzema became the second player to shoot in 5 consecutive matches in the history of the Spanish Super Cup with 5 goals, after Lionel Messi from 2010 to 2012 with 8 goals in 5 matches.
When the second half passed 21 seconds, Valencia suddenly found an equalizer. In the attack situation right after serving, Lato Toni crossed from the right to the far post for Lino to choose a position and close the goal to hit Courtois's net. After that, the semi-final of the Spanish Super Cup was repeatedly interrupted when Vasquez and Lino were injured.
At the end of the game, Real pushed up the pace and continuously bombarded the opponent's goal. In the 88th minute, Benzema headed over the bar from Valverde's right wing cross. In the fifth minute of compensation, Vinicius was not accompanied by anyone when receiving the ball in the penalty area, but the Brazilian striker's heart attack did not beat Mamardashvili. Time officially ended with Valverde's shot from outside the box being caught by the Valencia goalkeeper in the seventh minute.
The sixth time the match of the Spanish Super Cup went to extra time, and the fifth time since the tournament changed its format from 2019. The other time took place in the final second leg of the 1982-1983 season, when Sociedad pressed crushed Real 4-0 to win with a total score of 4-1. And yesterday, Real and Valencia could not score in 30 minutes of extra time and had to settle for victory and defeat in a shootout - where the defending champion won 4-3.
