Marco Asensio and Karim Benzema netted to earn Real Madrid a 2-0 second-leg win over Barcelona in their Supercopa de Espana tie at the Bernabeu.
The bullet strike from Asensio and close-range finish from Benzema added to the three goals netted at Camp Nou a few days ago, meaning a comfortable 5-1 aggregate victory.
Barca were the better side in the second half, hitting both the crossbar and post, but in the end it just was not to be as Ernesto Valverde made it back-to-back defeats to being his reign.
Relive how the 90 minutes of action unfolded with Sports Mole's live text coverage below.
Hello and welcome to Sports Mole's live text coverage of the Supercopa de Espana second-leg clash between Real Madrid and Barcelona at the Bernabeu. After a thrilling opening 90 minutes in this curtain-raising showdown to the new Spanish football season, containing talking points and drama aplenty a few days ago, we are set to do it all over again.
It is advantage Madrid after the first leg in Catalonia, with Marco Asensio scoring in the final minute to add to an earlier Cristiano Ronaldo strike and Gerard Pique own goal. That was only half the story, as Ronaldo - only introduced as a sub on the hour mark - saw red for two quick-fire yellows. Los Blancos are not quite over the line just yet, but they are strong favourites to get the job done tonight.
REAL MADRID TEAM NEWS!
STARTING XI: Navas; Carvajal, Ramos, Varane, Marcelo; Modric, Kovacic, Kroos; Vazquez, Benzema, Asensio
SUBS: Casilla, Nacho, Bale, Casemiro, Hernandez, Isco, Ceballos
Home boss Zinedine Zidane has made some surprising selection decisions for this return fixture, as he has opted to leave out both Gareth Bale and Isco. The thinking is likely that neither player can play three times in the space of the week at this stage in the season, with a trip to face Deportivo La Coruna to come next weekend. Karim Benzema retains his place in attack, though, being joined by Lucas Vazquez and the hugely talented Marco Asensio.
Asensio certainly deserves a starting spot and he now has a real chance of holding down a place in the side for that league opener in four days' time. Bale, who has scored just once in eight Clasico showdowns, will almost certainly play a part from the bench, as will fellow attacker Isco. They are joined on the bench by Casemiro, who makes way for Luka Modric following his return from suspension.
Mateo Kovacic was the man expected to make way for Modric, especially after picking up a knock at Camp Nou, but Zidane has instead decided to give Casemiro a bit of a breather. Toni Kroos is the other midfield man, while the back four has a familiar feel to it as Dani Carvajal, Sergio Ramos, Raphael Varane and Marcelo line up in front of Keylor Navas. Summer signings Theo Hernandez and Dani Ceballos are again among the substitutes.
BARCELONA TEAM NEWS!
STARTING XI: Ter Stegen; Pique, Mascherano, Umtiti; Roberto, Gomes, Busquets, Rakitic, Alba; Messi, L.Suarez
SUBS: Cillessen, Semedo, D.Suarez, Deulofeu, Alcacer, Digne, Vidal
Ernesto Valverde looks to have restructured his side from the first leg by going with three at three at the back; Javier Mascherano coming in to partner Gerard Pique and Samuel Umtiti. That gives Sergi Roberto and Jordi Alba licence to get high up the flanks, while Andre Gomes also adds a pair of fresh legs in the middle alongside Sergio Busquets and Ivan Rakitic, the latter of whom was today linked with a move to Liverpool.
Barca are no strangers to altering their formation when visiting the Bernabeu and, after being ripped apart at times late on during Sunday's match, it is no great surprise to see Valverde try something different here. Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi have even more attacking weight on their shoulders these days following the loss of Neymar, with the duo paired up once again this evening - Gerard Deulofeu drops down to the bench.
Nelson Semedo, one of just a few signings made by Valverde since taking charge, was tipped to start tonight's match at full-back, but Roberto and Alba are instead given the nod in the more advanced wing-back berths. No sign of Paulinho in the squad following his £37m move earlier this week, though he is expected to be integrated into the fold in time for Barca's opening La Liga fixture next weekend. On the back of two games in a week, Andres Iniesta also misses out entirely.
Real Madrid are without their star attacking talent in Cristiano Ronaldo this evening. The Portuguese was shown a controversial yellow card for a perceived dive in the first leg, soon after being given a booking for taking his top off when celebrating, before shoving the referee to see a further four matches added to the automatic one-match suspension. Spanish football chiefs today upheld the ban, so he faces a few weeks in the stands.
Madrid very much in the driving seat this evening, then, even without Ronaldo in their ranks. The power has shifted over the past year or so, with Los Blancos now the side on top of this rivalry thanks to success in La Liga and the Champions League last time out, adding to boss Zidane's hugely impressive title collection. In his 19 months at the helm he has won six trophies, most recently lifting the UEFA Super Cup.
Zidane's men saw off Manchester United in Skopje a week ago to make it back-to-back triumphs in that competition, before picking up a two-goal victory over Barca in their next competitive outing. Two from two so far and, on the basis of what we have seen over the past 12 months - just the five defeats in all competitions last season, remember - it is hard to bet against Los Blancos dominating both at home and in Europe once again in 2017-18.
For all the accusations of Zidane simply being in the right place at the right time, taking over one of the most talented groups of players ever assembled, it must be remembered that no other Madrid manager has achieved what the Frenchman did last season since 1958. It is very rare that Madrid reign supreme both at home and in Europe, which they successfully pulled off last time out in a famous campaign for the club.
I guess the challenge for Zidane now is to perhaps go one better and win the treble, having been knocked out in the Copa del Rey in the quarter-final stage last season. Simply matching last term's double would be an almighty achievement in itself, though, as it took an incredible amount of mental strength to maintain their challenge in the two competitions, holding off Barca in La Liga and brushing aside Juventus 4-1 in the Champions League final.
It could be argued that Madrid are actually weaker now than they were a few months back, however, as squad players James Rodriguez, Alvaro Morata and Danilo have all been allowed to leave. They may not have been regulars, but each played their own part in last term's double success and they will be greatly missed over the next nine months. Two players have so far been recruited in their place - Theo Hernandez and Dani Ceballos, the former joining from rivals Atletico Madrid.
Zidane will surely bring in another new player or two before the transfer window closes in two weeks' time, although their hopes of signing Kylian Mbappe from AS Monaco appear to be over. The France international, one of the hottest properties on the market right now, is said to be close to joining Paris Saint-Germain in a big-money move, which will likely be smaller than the amount paid for Neymar but will still smash the £100m barrier.
Prior to winning their first two competitive games of the season against Man United and Barca, Madrid did not have the greatest of pre-season campaigns. They lost to United, Manchester City and Barcelona in the United States, before beating a Major League Soccer All-Stars team on penalties. While winning the UEFA Super Cup and Supercopa de Espana will of course be nice, starting well in La Liga is the biggest priority for Zidane.
PREVIOUS MEETINGS! Sunday's clash at Camp Nou was the 268th encounter between these two sides, with Barcelona still boasting the better overall record thanks to 111 victories to their opponents' 98. That includes a rather incredible 3-2 win here in April when Lionel Messi scored at the very death to essentially take the La Liga title race to the wire with his landmark 500th career goal.
The two sides have now faced off 13 times in the Supercopa de Espana, meanwhile; Madrid edging their opponents with seven wins and four losses. Barcelona have yet to win at the Bernabeu in this competition, in fact, so they will need to create some history this evening if they are to avoid starting their season on a disappointing note by missing out on silverware.
Real Madrid take a 3-1 lead into this second-leg clash at the Bernabeu following an an enthralling opening 90 minutes to the tie. The first half passed by without too much drama, in truth, but the second 45 proved to be far more gripping as both teams created big chances. In the end it was the 10 men of Los Blancos who bagged a healthy advantage, making them strong favourites to lift the cup.
Valverde is hoping to avoid becoming just the third Barcelona manager to lose his first two competitive matches in charge - JJ Nogues and Luis Aragones to others. It was a real disappointing evening for the former Athletic Bilbao boss last time out, coming on the back of what had been a positive pre-season campaign on the field, despite losing one of their true world-class talents in Neymar to Paris Saint-Germain.
Luis Enrique managed to bow out on somewhat of a high last season by seeing his side earn a 3-1 win over Alaves in the Copa del Rey final, helping to keep his major honours collection ticking over. Enrique was a success at Camp Nou on the whole, as was predecessor Pep Guardiola, so there is pressure on former player Valverde to himself wrest back control of the title from Madrid over these next nine months or so.
Barca simply were not good enough in 2016-17, crashing out of the Champions League at the quarter-final stage to Juventus, having previously overcome PSG in the most incredible of circumstances. In La Liga too many points were dropped against the division's lesser lights, seeing the likes of Alaves, Celta Vigo, Real Sociedad, Villarreal, Real Betis, Deportivo La Coruna and Malaga all claim a draw or more. Valverde must ensure that is not the case this time around.
The Catalan giants did end the season in style, though, winning seven league games in succession and scoring 28 goals in the process. It was not enough to overhaul Madrid who, after dropping points to Atletico Madrid and Barca in the space of three matches in April, picked themselves up and also got over the line in a perfect manner thereon in. Barca were still technically on for the treble with six weeks of the season to play, so it was far from a disastrous campaign.
There is no denying that this Barcelona side now lacks the aura of old, though, particularly after losing Neymar and so far bringing in just Gerard Deulofeu, Nelson Semedo and, most recently, Paulinho. The latest of those in particular left supporters concerned, splashing out close to £40m to buyout the contract of a player who has spent the past couple of years plying his trade in the Chinese Super League, having previously flopped in the Premier League.
Paulinho has been the best player in that division over the past 18 months or so, though, and he also played a starring role in helping Brazil to become the first nation to qualify for next summer's World Cup. It is a strange transfer on the face of it but, should they manage to bring in the other players they are after, it could make sense in the long term. It remains to be seen whether Philippe Coutinho and Ousmane Dembele will join, with a fortnight to get deals over the line.
Since beating Alaves 3-1 to win the Copa del Rey in May, Barcelona have overcome Juventus, Manchester United, Real Madrid and Brazilian club Chapecoense in their pre-season programme, while also being held by lower-league side Gimnastic. Their first competitive outing ended in real disappointment, however, as they levelled up against Los Blancos at the weekend before going on to lose 3-1 on home soil.
PREDICTION! Even when boasting a man advantage in the first leg, Barca were left horribly exposed at the back when pushing players high up the pitch, allowing Los Blancos to add a potentially killer third through Asensio late on. It could be a similar story in this latest showdown, with Los Blancos perfectly set up to expose their opponents on the counter. I am going with another 3-1 win for the hosts - 6-2 on aggregate.
The two sets of players have now made their way out on to the field of play, with kickoff in the Spanish capital just a couple of minutes away. A very late kickoff in this Supercopa de Espana second-leg tie, but that has not put off supporters as the Bernabeu still looks packed. Fingers crossed for another entertaining 90 minutes - and possibly more - which has been the case the last few times that they have locked horns.
KICKOFF! We are up and running at the Bernabeu, where Barcelona are indeed lining up with a three-man backline. Early chance for Modric, whose shot is struck straight at Umtiti in front of goal - it was going in otherwise.
Madrid have started the better, really getting at their opponents in these opening few minutes. Half a chance for Modric, too, which he took with the outside of his boot just a few moments ago. Home supporters pleased by what they are seeing.
GOAL! REAL MADRID 1-0 BARCELONA (MARCO ASENSIO)
Does this guy score average goals?! Asensio, from more than 30 yards out, puts his foot through the ball and it fizzes straight past Ter Stegen into the back of the net. Surely tie over, with just four minutes of the second leg played.
Los Blancos have started this match superbly, refusing to sit back and instead going all out for goals. They now have a 4-1 advantage on aggregate and, baring a Barca miracle, they will be lifting the Supercopa de Espana a couple of hours from now.
Nine minutes now played and Barcelona have barely been able to get out of first gear. Instead it is Madrid asking the attacking questions, making the most of their fluid attack line and looking good value to add a second before the half is out.
First time we have seen Barcelona get at their opponents this evening, as Suarez gets in behind but cannot quite pick out a teammate in front of goal when attempting to square it. A decent opening for the visitors, which they failed to make the most of.
Suarez is certainly growing into the match, sending a volleyed attempt over the crossbar from 12 yards out. Better from Valverde's men, as they go in search of the first of three goals that are required on enemy territory.
Barcelona definitely the side on top over the past few minutes, creating a couple of half-chances through Suarez. Not quite happened for them so far, though, while Madrid have taken their big opening to open up a three-goal advantage.
Messi carries the ball half the length of the field, via a quick exchange of passes with Sergi Roberto down the right, but he runs it too close to Navas in the end. The little maestro will be disappointed not to have got a shot away.
If Barcelona can make this sustained spell of pressure count then we could have a game on our hands once again. The Catalans have done well to wrest back a bit of control following that dominant start from their opponents.
Kovacic is looking very confident this evening, bringing the ball forward and then laying it off for Asensio. It eventually found its way to Marcelo out on the left-hand side, and his shot/cross ended a good yard or so wide of Ter Stegen's goal.
A quarter of the match now played and it is Madrid who have bagged the only goal of the night. A match of few chances so far, in truth, which was also the case in the opening 45 minutes at Camp Nou a few days back. Plenty of time for that to change!
A quiet spell in the match now, with neither side able to really take control of proceedings. The onus is on away side Barcelona to change that, of course, as they require three goals to drag themselves back on level terms.
Madrid just happy to knock the ball around in defence and into midfield at the moment. They do well to work it into the final third, where Benzema picks out Asensio inside the box, but Umtiti was again well positioned to block.
Nice play between the lines from Barca to get Rakitic on the ball 25 yards from goal. The Croatia international is illegally brought down and the visitors have a chance to get the ball into the box from the free kick, but it comes to little.
SHOT! Good take from Lucas Vazquez to give himself some pace to run into. The ball is then laid off for Toni Kroos to strike, but he failed to make the desired contact and the ball ends narrowly wide of Ter Stegen's goal.
Very brave from Benzema to attack the ball at the back post with his head, taking a boot in the face from Pique for his troubles. Get the sense over the past three or four minutes that Madrid are about to further extend their advantage.
OFF THE POST! Well I did say Madrid looked like adding to their advantage, having stepped things up another notch over the past few minutes. Vazquez attempted to curl the ball past Ter Stegen from 16 yards out, but could only pick out the post.
Barcelona having to sit right back in their own half now to soak up the Madrid pressure. There was almost a chance for Suarez to counter but the danger was well dealt with at the back, adding to the Uruguayan's frustrations.
GOAL! REAL MADRID 2-0 BARCELONA (KARIM BENZEMA)
Madrid have a fifth goal of the tie through Benzema, who required one touch to set the ball and a second to smash it past a helpless Ter Stegen into the bottom corner of the net. A real gulf in quality between the two sides this evening.
All pretty desperate from Barca now, who are simply aiming to keep the scoreline down before it gets embarrassing. Madrid have a couple on the night and they do not look as though they have finished there - a long evening ahead for the visitors.
Bit of a wild one from Benzema, as he sends the ball flying over the crossbar from the edge of the area. A couple of minutes of the half for the hosts to see out, though in truth they would happily continue playing as they are well on top.
HALF TIME: REAL MADRID 2-0 BARCELONA
The referee decides against adding on any additional time, so Real Madrid take a 2-0 lead into the interval against arch-rivals Barcelona - 5-1 on aggregate. Surely game over now, unless the visitors can find a couple of goals early in the second period.
Madrid, sitting on that two-goal lead from the first leg at Camp Nou, were unwilling to sit back and protect their advantage and instead went all out for another right from the off. They were rewarded for their positivity, too, as Marco Asensio added another gem to his growing collection by picking out the top corner of Marc-Andre ter Stegen's net with a fine strike from 30 yards out.
Barca slowly started to grow into the game a little but, a Luis Suarez volley over the bar aside, they did little with their possession and were soon made to pay. The home side had far more about them in attack, utilising their pace and power and coming within inches of adding a second when Lucas Vazquez - given the nod over Isco and Gareth Bale from the off - picked out the post with his curled attempt.
Toni Kroos also failed to find a way through when picked out in a good position, but it would matter little as Karim Benzema made sure of the victory for his side 39 minutes in thanks to a well-taken goal. The Frenchman required one touch to set the ball and another to drill it into the bottom corner, giving Los Blancos plenty of breathing space with a quarter of the two-legged tie still to play.
Visiting boss Ernesto Valverde will surely be considering a change or two at the interval, while also potentially changing his formation. A disastrous start to life at Camp Nou for him, with Real Madrid good value for their comfortable advantage over the two legs.
REAL MADRID SUBS: Casilla, Nacho, Bale, Casemiro, Hernandez, Isco, Ceballos
BARCELONA SUBS: Cillessen, Semedo, D.Suarez, Deulofeu, Alcacer, Digne, Vidal
RESTART! Real Madrid get us back up and running at the Bernabeu. Neither manager made any changes to their personnel at the interval, so it is as you were until alterations are no doubt made around the hour mark.
Suarez picks up the ball on the edge of the box but is guilty of giving it away. Barca have looked incredibly disjointed tonight but they are starting to turn the screw a little, as a cutback is pounced on by Keylor Navas at his front post.
BARCELONA SUB! Barcelona simply unable to create anything at the moment. Valverde is forced into action as Pique appears to have picked up a knock, bringing on Nelson Semedo on in his place and shuffling the back slightly.
OFF THE BAR! Brilliant challenge from Kroos to disposes Messi, just when the Barca man was about to go on one of those trademark runs from deep. From the next attack Messi this time slipped away from his marker but picked out the crossbar when lifting the ball over Navas.
SAVE! Ter Stegen with a strange save, simply shrugging Benzema's belter from an angle over the crossbar. A decent attempt from the Frenchman and an equally smart stop from the opposition keeper, ensuring that the scoreline remains at 5-1.
The hour mark is fast approaching in the Spanish capital, meaning that the two managers may well be considering some changes. Just the one alteration made so far - Pique being replaced by Semedo early in the second half due to a minor injury.
SAVE! Semedo flicks the ball into the area and Suarez is there to meet it with his head, attempting to pick out the bottom corner of the net. Well read by Navas, though, as he caught the ball to again deny the visitors a breakthrough goal.
REAL MADRID SUB! Ramos clatters into Messi to give away a free kick. Madrid have made their first alteration of the evening, bringing on Casemiro for Kovacic in the middle of the park for these remaining 30 minutes or so.
Mascherano with a shocker of a pass, sending the ball straight out of play. Plenty of frustration on the faces of the Barcelona players, as they know that their hopes of getting back into the game are now over. Easy for Madrid.
A nice delivery from the left is nearly met by Sergi Roberto in a central position, but he could not quite connect with the ball at full stretch. Barcelona have barely create any chances from open play, reserving their best openings from wide areas.
A free kick aimed towards the back post is met by the head of Suarez, but he was unable to glance it goalwards when under pressure. Just a quarter of the second leg left to play and Madrid are still able to breathe easily.
CHANCE! Great footwork from Suarez and he even had the nerve to slot the ball through for Roberto, who could not prod it past Navas. The Madrid keeper then parried a Messi shot into Suarez's path, but the headed the ball against the upright.
BARCELONA SUB! This is undoubtedly the visitors' best moment of the match, twice coming close to netting a consolation. Valverde has made a second change, bringing on Gerard Deulofeu for Andre Gomes as we enter the final 20 minutes.
Barca deserve a goal on the basis of this second half showing, with Semedo seeing a close-range shot blocked in front of Navas's net. It is turning into the most frustrating of evenings for them, knowing that the tie is out of their reach.
REAL MADRID SUB! Asensio leaves the pitch to a hero's welcome, being replaced by summer signing Theo Hernandez for the remainder. One change each for both managers to use should they wish, with 15 minutes to play.
BARCELONA SUB! Suarez goes down in quite some pain under a challenge from Navas when in an offside position. The striker appears to be OK to continue - in fact, he will have to, as Lucas Digne is on for Jordi Alba.
REAL MADRID SUB! Good work from Vazquez who, after being picked out by Kroos, is able to get to the byline and win a corner for his side. Zidane turns to another new recruit in Ceballos for his third change, taking over from Kroos.
We are now into the final 10 minutes of the match at the Bernabeu and, while Barca have just about been the better side in this second half, there does not look like being a way through for a third goal of the night in the remaining minutes.
Hernandez is played in down the left but is unable to find one of his new teammates when sending a cross through the box. Deulofeu looks to make something happen up the other end, only to be ushered off the ball by Ramos.
Madrid on the brink of winning a 10th Supercopa de Espana, leaving them a couple behind record holders Barcelona. It will be the first time they have come out on top since 2014 - doing so in style, too, against their arch-rivals.
The hosts have seen 54% of the ball in this second half, but it is Barca who have edged the chances. The damage was done in the first half as far as Los Blancos are concerned, though, scoring those two goals to kill off the contest.
YELLOW CARD! We saw bookings galore in the first leg, but a frustrated Luis Suarez has just been shown the first caution of this second leg. Madrid have turned the game back in their favour, ending the contest as they started it.
Barcelona are nearly out of their misery, with a couple more minutes left to play at the Bernabeu. Zidane will be delighted by the way his side have kicked off their 2017-18 campaign, already winning the UEFA Super Cup and now the Supercopa.
FULL TIME: REAL MADRID 2-0 BARCELONA (5-1 ON AGGREGATE)
The referee blows his whistle for full time, meaning that Real Madrid come out on top comfortable 5-1 winners on aggregate. It was a 2-0 victory on the night, given to them through goals from Marco Asensio and Karim Benzema. Barcelona were the better side in the second half, hitting the crossbar and post, but it just was not to be in the end.
That concludes Sports Mole's live text coverage of events at the Bernabeu. An on-the-whistle report can be found by clicking here, and be sure to join us next weekend for updates from the opening weekend of La Liga action. See you then!
