ENCOURAGEMENT

Bale as being for sale and would therefore make a move for the Welshman if he did not start for Real.

But Bale did start, setting up Isco’s goal as well as hitting the bar before being replaced on 74 minutes. Mourinho later told BT Sport that it was “game over” as far as that move was concerned.

For all his success in the game, Mourinho has still never won the Super Cup, while Zidane has now won the trophy two years running.

Real have now lifted the Super Cup on four separate occasions but what is really striking is the success enjoyed by Zidane in his time as coach.

This was his sixth trophy since being appointed in January last year, just 19 months ago.

“There were big celebrations in the dressing room, we don’t get tired of winning,” said the Frenchman, whose side will defend the Champions League crown and La Liga this season.

He described his side’s performance as “almost perfect” and added: “I don’t know if we can play any better, but we will try. We know that we have difficult opponents, with another one coming on Sunday. But our ambition is to keep getting better.”

Real face Barcelona in the first leg of the Spanish Super Cup this Sunday and Cristiano Ronaldo will hope to play a key role in that game after making a brief appearance from the bench against United. AFP

EPA PIC Real Madrid’s Sergio Ramos (front) clashes with Manchester United’s Marouane Fellaini in their Super Cup match at the Philip II Arena in Skopje, Macedonia, on Tuesday.