Ranking Real Madrid's 5 best players against Eintracht Frankfurt | UEFA Super Cup 2022
Champions League winners Real Madrid went up against Europa League holders Eintracht Frankfurt in the UEFA Super Cup at the Helsinki Olympic Stadium on Wednesday (August 10) night.
Los Blancos came out on top in Finland, beating the German outfit 2-0. Centre-back David Alaba and club captain Karim Benzema scored on either side of half-time to ensure a comfortable victory for Carlo Ancelotti’s side.
With the new La Liga season yet to get underway, Madrid's last competitive fixture was the Champions League final against Liverpool in May. The lack of top-level football was evident in the opening quarter as they struggled to string passes together.
Frankfurt, who kicked off their Bundesliga campaign on Saturday (August 6), albeit with a 6-1 defeat against Bayern Munich, looked more energetic and curious in possession.
In the 14th minute, Daichi Kamada capitalized on Los Blancos’ sluggishness to get himself one-on-one with the keeper. Fortunately for the European champions, Thibaut Courtois responded promptly and stopped his effort.
The counter-attack served as a wake-up call for the Whites as they fashioned a clear-cut opportunity of their own just three minutes later. A goal-line clearance from Tuta denied Vinicius Junior from breaking the deadlock.
Weathering a couple more goal Frankfurt efforts, Real Madrid finally got their opener in the 37th minute, with Alaba applying the easiest of finishes from the middle of the box. Benzema came close to doubling his team’s advantage only four minutes later, but failed to keep his effort on target.
The side from the Spanish capital started the second half with a lot more urgency, keeping Frankfurt on their toes with their swift passes and crafty movement. Ten minutes into the second half, Frankfurt goalkeeper Kevin Trapp was called into action by Vinicius. The German keeper made a fine diving save to keep the Brazilian from wheeling away in celebration.
Real Madrid’s insurance goal finally came in the 65th minute, through their ever-reliable talisman Benzema, who applied a fine finish to take the game away from the Bundesliga outfit. The Frenchman’s strike calmed the game down, as neither party pushed hard to change the outcome of the match.
It was a solid start to the season for the Spanish champions, one that should give them plenty of confidence ahead of their La Liga opener against Almeria on Sunday (August 14).
Here are the top five Real Madrid players who looked tack sharp in the UEFA Super Cup on Wednesday night:
#5 David Alaba
Alaba sat at the heart of the defense on Wednesday night, making sure nothing untoward happened.
He communicated with his teammates to make sure they were all on the same page and used his offensive acumen to score the opening goal in the first half.
As always, he was in the thick of things inside the opposition box when Toni Kroos delivered his corner. Benzema fed the ball to Casemiro, who, in turn, laid it on a plate for Alaba.
The Austrian unhesitantly converted from point-blank range. Alaba also made three clearances, won a duel, and accurately delivered four long balls.
#4 Karim Benzema
Benzema emerged as the top goalscorer in the 2021-22 Champions League campaign with 15 goals in 12 games.
Seeing him find the back of the net in the UEFA Super Cup was hardly a surprise for onlookers. Benzema missed a chance just before half time, but he made amends in the second half.
Latching on to Vinicius' cutback from the left, Benzema had a go at Trapp’s goal in the 65th minute. His shot was straight at him, but the keeper somehow let the ball get past him.
It marked the 324th goal of his Real Madrid career, making him the club’s second-highest goalscorer of all time (behind Cristiano Ronaldo’s 450).
Benzema also played a crucial role in the first goal, heading Kroos’ corner to Casemiro, who placed it in Alaba’s path for him to score.
The Frenchman also played three key passes against the Europa League holders.
#3 Toni Kroos
Kroos, the team's metronome, once again put in an efficient shift in an important fixture for the Whites.
The German created chances at will, delivered the corner that led to the opener, pinged the ball with unimaginable accuracy, and even cut out passing lanes from time to time.
Against Frankfurt, the 2014 World Cup winner had 94.2 percent passing accuracy, accurately delivered 12 long balls, played three key passes, and made a couple of interceptions.
Thanks to him, Frankfurt never looked like dominating the middle of the park on Wednesday. Kroos made way for Aurelien Tchouameni in the 85th minute.
#2 Vinicius Junior
Vinicius sent the Madridistas into a frenzy by scoring the winning goal in the 2021-22 Champions League final against Liverpool. On Wednesday night, he gave fans a glimpse of what to expect from him this season.
The Brazilian winger was dazzling on the left, taking players on, beating them, and creating chances for his teammates to pounce on.
He also came mighty close to scoring on scoring on a couple of occasions, getting denied by a goal-line clearance and a diving save.
Vinicius assisted Benzema’s second-half goal, played a key pass, had three shots on target, completed a dribble, won four duels and drew three fouls.
It was not his best performance, but it was surely a declaration of intent. Dani Ceballos replaced him in the 85th minute.
#1 Casemiro
In the first competitive game following Tchouameni’s arrival, Casemiro showed why he is still Ancelotti’s go-to defensive midfielder.
The Brazilian was a rock in the middle of the park, killing numerous attacks in their crib. He won six of nine tackles, made 10 recoveries, and came out on top in nine ground duels.
Casemiro was mighty impressive on the attacking front as well. In the 37th minute, he brilliantly brought down Benzema’s headed lay-off to place it in Alaba’s path. The Austrian took care of the rest.
The five-time Champions League winner also came mighty close to finding the back of the net, with his long-range 61st-minute effort clattering against the bar.
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Samya Majumdar