Real complete Cup rout of Barca
REAL Madrid shrugged off the absence of the suspended Cristiano Ronaldo to cruise past rivals Barcelona 2-0 in the second leg of the Spanish Super Cup to cap a 5-1 aggregate win.
Ronaldo was slapped with a fivegame ban for pushing the referee after he was sent off in the first leg, but his replacement Marco Asensio enhanced his reputation as one of world football’s rising stars as he smashed Real into the lead after just four minutes.
Karim Benzema then deservedly doubled Real’s lead before half-time.
Barca responded with a more spirited second-half showing and were unfortunate not to at least pull a goal back as Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez hit the woodwork.
Victory continues Real’s run of success under Zinedine Zidane with the European champions now having lifted seven trophies in the 20 months since the Frenchman took charge.
“We played a great match tonight,” said Zidane. “Especially in the first half, it was spectacular.”
Zidane even had the luxury of leaving first-team regulars Gareth Bale, Isco and Casemiro on the bench as Real’s strength in depth was demonstrated in a dominant first 45 minutes.
“This team has hunger and every time we play it shows,” added Zidane.
“We have to try to continue like this. To start the season like this is very good, but we know a long season is just starting.”
In similar fashion to his strike in the first leg, 21-year-old Asensio sent an unstoppable left-footed shot past Marc-Andre ter Stegen into the top corner from outside the box.
“I think we were superior across the whole tie,” Asensio told Spanish TV station Telecinco.
However, he rejected suggestions he is now ahead of Bale in Zidane’s pecking order. “I am working to have as many minutes as possible on the field. I am happy on both a collective and individual level,” Zidane said.
Barcelona boss Ernesto Valverde has suffered the worst possible start to his reign with back-to-back defeats against the Catalans fiercest rivals and the visitors never threatened to mount a comeback after conceding.
“We have to recover quickly, the league is on the horizon,” said Valverde, ahead of Barca’s La Liga opener against Real Betis on Sunday.
Shorn of Neymar after his world record breaking transfer to Paris SaintGermain and injured captain Andres Iniesta, Barca’s star front two lacked the service needed to make a meaningful impact.
“In three days we find ourselves against the ropes,” Valverde said. “Things happened in preseason that affected the balance of the team and our job is to refind that balance.”
Indeed, the scoreline could have been a lot more embarrassing for Barca as Marcelo dragged wide before Lucas Vazquez hit the post with a glorious chance.
The hosts finally doubled their lead six minutes before the break when Benzema nipped in front of Umtiti and slotted past Ter Stegen.
An 11pm kick-off time meant halftime saw Wednesday turn to Thursday and Barca did at least salvage some pride in the early morning with an improved second-half display.
Messi was desperately unlucky not to net a consolation goal as he hit the underside of the bar from a narrow angle.
Coutinho lift for Barca?
The visitors’ night was summed up when Suarez headed against the post with the goal gaping after Navas had parried Messi’s driven shot into his path.
And there could be even worse news to come for Barca as Suarez ended the game visibly suffering from a knee injury that Valverde said was to be assessed yesterday.
But Barcelona could be handed a lift after a senior official claimed the club are “close” to signing Philippe Coutinho and Ousmane Dembele.
Pep Segura, Barca’s general manager, said negotiations with Liverpool for Brazilian playmaker Coutinho and Borussia Dortmund over a deal for promising French winger Dembele could be finalised within days.
“We have to help the team with reinforcements and they will be here in the coming days,” Segura told Catalan TV station Esport3 after Barca lost the second leg of the Super Cup match 2-0 at Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu.
“We are discussing the conditions of Coutinho and Dembele . . . they are close. We hope they will be Barca players [this coming] season.”