Real Madrid qualified for the Spanish Super Cup final by beating Valencia 4-3 on penalties after the end of initial and extra time in a 1-1 draw, at the King Fahd Stadium in the Saudi capital, Riyadh.
Sharjah 24 – Asad Khalil:
Real Madrid reached the Spanish Super Cup final by beating Valencia 4-3 on penalties after the end of initial and extra time in a 1-1 draw, at the King Fahd Stadium in the Saudi capital, Riyadh.
The Spanish champion made it from a penalty to Frenchman Karim Benzema (39), and Brazilian Samuel Lino equalized seconds after the start of the second half for the cup runner-up (46).
The Real players succeeded in all four shots in the penalty shootout, while Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, selected as man of the match, saved his fifth after Valencia also missed their second attempt.
The royal club will play in the final on Sunday against league runners-up Barcelona or cup champions Real Betis, who meet in the second semi-final on Thursday.
“It was a difficult match without great pace from either team – said Marco Asisniu after the victory -. It was difficult for us, but the important thing is that we are in the final and aiming for another title.”
This is the third time Real Madrid have reached the final in 4 years since the system turned into a mini-tournament in 2019, and was crowned in the first edition and last year.
Real Madrid went into the match after falling to Villarreal in the league on Saturday, causing them to lose a joint lead with Barcelona, who won against Atletico Madrid on Sunday.
