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Real Madrid's 2-0 win against Eintracht Frankfurt on Wednesday (August 10) will make this Carlo Ancelotti's fourth UEFA Super Cup trophy of his career. The manager achieved the brilliant record thanks to an opening goal from David Alaba, before Karim Benzema finished with a trademark shot in the second half.
The German outfit saw some early first-half chances to enter the Spanish side's half, but struggled to seek out any attacking inroads. A notable chance came on the counter-attack after a strong press from Frankfurt, as Daichi Kamada received a brilliant through-pass in the final third. However, the Japanese midfielder was unable to make it count as Thibaut Courtois made the save.
Another key opportunity came, but this time, for the Madridistas. Another counter-attacking situation saw Vinicius Junior curl the ball beyond Frankfurt goalkeeper Kevin Trapp, but Tuta made a goal-line clearance.
Overall, Real Madrid had good reason to be a bit unhappy with much of their first-half display. By the 30-minute mark, they had fewer shots and chances than their German counterparts, even with the lion's share of possession. However, Madrid remained unrelentless and eventually scored the opening goal of the game.
Eintracht were caught napping during a corner routine, which saw Casemiro head the ball to David Alaba who was free in the six-yard box to score in the 37th minute. The German side tried to play with more urgency after going under, but the Madridistas did not let them. More chances came for both sides, but Eintracht were unable to garner a good opportunity before the first half ended.
Real Madrid added another goal to secure the win against Eintracht Frankfurt
The second half continued with a rather similar display as Madrid continued to seek options in the final third, but could do so with little urgency. Frankfurt decided to defend deeper, using their five-man defense to keep their opponents patiently waiting for an opening.
A few openings did come early on for Real Madrid, with Vinicius taking yet another shot at Trapp, but the goalkeeper was able to parry the ball. For the Bundesliga side, however, the openings were rather numbered, as a more potent Madrid defense held down the forte better than they did in the first half.
Ansgar Knauff did have a wonderful solo run through the Madrid players, but it was Courtois who kept the ball out. Madrid responded soon after by scoring their second goal of the game in the 65th minute, thanks to a brilliant run from Vinicius and quick footing from Benzema.
A well-timed run from Vinicius saw the attacker pick up on a well-threaded pass down the left flank. The Brazilian laid it in for Benzema, who took a one-time shot that went through Trapp and into the goal.
Real Madrid fans are understandably pleased with the results, and Twitter exploded after the Madridistas added their first trophy of the season. Here is a selection of tweets about the game:
Real Madrid kick off their La Liga season against Almeria on Sunday, August 14.
