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Real Madrid cruised to their first trophy of the campaign, thanks to goals from Luka Modric and Karim Benzema. Los Blancos overcame reigning champions Athletic Bilbao 2-0 at the King Fahd International Stadium in the Supercopa de Espana final.
Carlo Ancelotti's men maintained a good grip on proceedings as Bilbao's chances were reduced to occasional counter-attacks.
Vinicius Junior had a rare quiet outing with the Madrid giants. However, his compatriot Rodrygo emerged as the target man in the final third, and bagged the assist for Modric's sublime first-time opener. Karim Benzema scored from the spot in the second half, and Bilbao failed to muster a response.
The win marked Real Madrid's first silverware since 2020 (La Liga). On that note, here's a look at the five talking points from the game:
#5 Multiple Real Madrid match-winners steal the show
Luka Modric scored a classy goal to open the scoring, producing a moment of brilliance in the 38th minute. Like most of Madrid's attacking moves on the night, Rodrygo received the ball on the right flank and progressed into the Athletic box.
He didn't have a good angle and space to have a go at goal, so he laid the ball onto Modric. The Croatian midfielder curled a first-time effort into the top right corner as Madrid broke the deadlock.
His goal would've been the highlight of the game, if not for an equally impressive act between the sticks from Thibaut Courtois. The Belgian goalkeeper ensured a clean sheet in the game, saving Raul Garcia's 89th-minute penalty.
Garcia drilled the ball into the middle while Courtois went to his right side, but the Belgian connected with the ball with his trailing leg.
#4 Carlo Ancelotti ends Los Blancos' trophy drought
Carlo Ancelotti has had a huge impact since returning to Madrid, and has led his team to the top of the standings. With a comfortable win over Athletic Bilbao, he also helped the club win their first trophy since 2020.
It marked the first time the Italian won the Supercopa de Espana with the club. He had won La Liga, Copa del Rey, Champions League and FIFA Club World Cup in his first tenure. The win meant Ancelotti became the first Italian manager to win the Spanish Supercopa.
Ancelotti will now have his eyes on the Copa del Rey, La Liga and Champions League as Madrid look forward to winning multiple silverware.
#3 Marcelo becomes the joint-most decorated player in Real Madrid history
Marcelo played just five minutes and had virtually no impact on Real Madrid's win. However, he got to lift the Supercopa de Espana trophy on Monday.
It marked the 23rd title for the Brazilian defender with the Spanish giants. As things stand, no player has won more silverware with Los Blancos than him. However, legendary winger Paco Gento has also won the same number of trophies with the club as Marcelo.
Marcelo has had just two starts for Real Madrid across competitions this season, so it is clear he is not in Ancelotti's plans at the moment. However, he's now on course to become Madrid's most-decorated player of all time if they win La Liga, Copa Del Rey or Champions League by the end of the campaign.
#2 Both Los Blancos and Bilbao benefit from VAR intervention
Both teams won a penalty in the second half after a potential handball check by VAR in the game. There were two different scenarios leading to the same outcome.
Real Madrid were awarded the penalty after Benzema's effort on goal struck Yeray Álvarez on the arm. After initially being awarded a corner kick, the referee was asked to check the replay, as the player's arms were not in a natural position. Madrid doubled their lead as Benzema converted from the spot.
Athletic Bilbao also saw a penalty awarded from a VAR intervention when Eder Militao seemingly obstructed Raul Garcia's header with his arm. As the ball was heading for the goal, the Brazilian was shown a red card for denying a goalscoring opportunity.
#1 Real Madrid beat Athletic Bilbao in a cup final for the first time
Madrid have enjoyed a great run against Athletic Bilbao in recent outings, as Los Leones have just one win over the capital club in their last 16 meetings. Nonetheless, it was a landmark win for Madrid, as it marked the first time in history they managed to outscore the Basque club in a cup final.
The two clubs had met five times in the Copa del Rey final (1916, 1939, 1933, 1943 and 1958) before this clash, with Bilbao emerging top on each occasion.
