Super Carvajal clinches Super Cup

Dani Carvajal made up for his Champions League heartbreak as his solo effort against Sevilla won Real Madrid the European Super Cup after extra time.

Asensio and Alvaro Morata started over James Rodriguez and Karim Benzema for Madrid, who were without Keylor Navas, Pepe, Toni Kroos, Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo, against a new-look Sevilla in the rainy Norwegian town of Trondheim on Tuesday.

Signs of early-season rust were nowhere to be seen as Madrid and Sevilla flew out of the traps, yet it was Los Blancos who first came closest to scoring, when Asensio’s pinged ball towards the far post was glanced on target by Sergio Ramos, but the defender’s header was crucially flicked off the line by Mariano.

Asensio’s inclusion was a clear sign of faith from Zidane, who hailed the youngster for his performances at the International Champions Cup, and he vindicated his Coach with a rocket from 30 yards out that flashed past Rico and into the back of the goalkeeper’s net.

Vazquez then ghosted in behind down the left in a bid to find a quick equaliser and picked out an unmarked Mariano with a pinpoint, reverse cross, but the full-back couldn’t keep his volley down.

However, the Champions League holders’ lead was suddenly squandered as the ball perfectly sat up in front of Vazquez near the penalty spot for a first-time volley, which the Sevilla new boy aptly hooked past Kiko Casilla.

Lucas promptly broke clear down the right and got to the byline before clipping a cross into the penalty area for Isco to meet, but the midfielder’s header was saved by Rico.

The second half struggled to get going as both side opted to use all their substitutions, with Madrid most notably bringing on Benzema, before Ramos was wrongfooted by Vitolo and clearly caught the winger.

Another sub Yevhen Konoplyanka then sent Casilla the wrong way as he delicately rolled the ball into the bottom-left corner to leave Sevilla 17 minutes away from the Super Cup.

However, Ramos – akin to his last-ditch, 2014 Champions League Final equaliser – pounced on Carvajal’s high cross in the penalty area, completely unmarked, to deny Sevilla at the death.

It went from bad to worse for the Europa League winners after extra time as Thimothee Kolodziejczak was sent off for two bookable offences after he lunged into Vazquez near his own box, although they were saved by a late flag when Ramos thought he had scored an acrobatic header.

Nonetheless, Sevilla were entering familiar territory. They took Barcelona to extra time in last year’s Super Cup, although they were the equalising team on that occasion and didn’t have a man sent off.

Still, they looked like holding on – and the omens appeared to be with them, Benzema showing wonderful awareness to play in James Rodriguez with a clipped ball forward, before the Colombian’s flicked finish was saved by Rico.

Lucas was then one-on-one with Rico after he was played in, but his point-blank finish was blocked. There were also worrying signs for Sevilla as Nicolas Pareja, who only recently came back from a long-term injury, was seen limping yet couldn’t come off.

It all got too much for Jorge Sampaoli’s new troops as Carvajal saw an opening with a minute to spare and broke into it like a high-speed train, leaving Adil Rami in his wake, before using the outside of his boot to flick the ball past Rico for 3-2 and the Super Cup.

Real Madrid 3-2 Sevilla (aet.)

Asensio 21, Ramos 90, Carvajal 119 (RM) Vazquez 41, Konoplyanka 71, Kolo sent off 93 (S)

Real Madrid: Casilla; Carvajal, Ramos, Varane, Marcelo; Isco (Modric 66), Casemiro, Kovacic (James 73); Lucas, Morata (Benzema 62), Asensio

Sevilla: Rico; Mariano, Parejo, Carrico (Rami 54), Kolo; Iborra (Kranevitter 74), N’Zonzi; Kiyotake, Vazquez, Vitolo; Vietto (Konoplyanka 67)

Tags European Super Cup
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