MATCH REPORT | Real Madrid win back their Super Cup crown (4-1)

364 days after losing the Spanish Super Cup title to FC Barcelona in Riyadh a year ago, Real Madrid regained the trophy on Sunday, winning the first major competition of the year in a stunning performance on the Al-Awwal stadium pitch.

A spectacle of light and colour preceded the clash between the two most successful teams in Spanish football, who lived up to their reputation by putting on a dazzling game of football.

Both teams started with a flurry of attacking play, with a host of chances at both ends. Even though Real Madrid were generating danger more frequently, It was Lunin who was called into making a great save from the clearest of the early chances when Barcelona went close from a break down the right after six minutes.

However, just after Xavi's side went so close to taking the lead, the opposite was to happen, when Bellingham's defence-splitting pass left Vinicíus alone bearing down on Iñaki Peña’s goal and saw the Brazilian get his glut of first half goals off to a go.

Ancelotti's side found constant joy with vertical passes exposing the opposition’s high line. On one of these occasions, ten minutes in, Rodrygo latched onto another through ball that freed him down the right, where he was able to slide a low though ball across in between the Barcelona defence and the goalkeeper to find an onrushing Vinicius sliding in at the far post to make it 2-0.

Vinícius Junior, with three match-winning goals in the first half, was voted MOTM in the final.

Barça nearly hit back with a shot crashing against the crossbar and a string of chances that an inspired Lunin was up to stopping from penetrating his Madrid goal, until Lewandowski scored with a great volley from the edge of the penalty area to give his side some hope.

It was all to be false dawns for Xavi´s men though, as just before the break, a pull from Araújo on Vinícius was deemed a penalty by Juan Martínez Munuera. The Brazilian took the penalty and confidently sealed his first-half hat trick .

After the restart, the final was a little more controlled, with Xavi trying to turn the game around by bringing on Fermín López, Lamine Yamal and Joao Felix. However, he went joyless on the night because almost immediately afterwards Rodrygo put the final to bed with a low shot from inside the area.

Shortly after, Ronald Araújo's sending off for a second yellow card killed any last chances of an attempt at a proper reaction from Barcelona. Vinícius Junior was voted player of the match, and upon leaving the pitch, was also given a standing ovation from the crowd that packed the stands in Riyadh

The 4-1 win gives Real Madrid their 13th Spanish Super Cup, fourth in the last seven years, in a competition that this year has gone up to another level in its quest to be the first major competition of the year in world football.

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