TheCable

Atletico Madrid scored four goals, two from Diego Costa, for the first time ever against Real Madrid as the Europa Cup winners defeated Champions League winners 4-2 to win the UEFA Super Cup in an entertaining match played at the Le Coq Arena in Tallinin, Estonia.

Real Madrid’s new coach, Julan Lopetegui, was managing his first competitive match for the club following Zinedine Zidane’s surprise summer exit and his turbulent sacking from the Spanish national team on the eve of Russia 2018 World Cup, while Atletico Madrid’s coach was banned from the bench in continuation of his European ban.

With Real Madrid’s record goalscorer, Cristiano Ronaldo, gone to Juventus, Marco Asensio took his spot as Lopetegui fielded the usual suspects who won a hat trick of consecutive Champions league, with Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema upfront.

Atletico, however, had two debutants in the starting 11, Thomas Lemar and Rodrigo slotting into midfield positions.
In the first ever derby of the UEFA Super Cup, Atletico Madrid flew out of the block and scored the fastest goal of the European season’s curtain raiser on 49 seconds through bullish striker, Diego Costa.

The 30-year old former Chelsea forward headed a long ball beyond both Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane with two touches before shooting with power and precision beyond Real ‘keeper, Keylor Navas, at his near post to hand Atletico the advantage.

Real Madrid, however, got their deserved equalizer on 27 minutes when Bale and Benzema combined to devastating effect. The welshman delivered a brilliant cross from the right wing for Frenchman, Karim Benzema, to head past Oblak from close range and score Real’s first post-Cristiano Ronaldo era goal.

Atletico Madrid’s 4-2 win over their more illustrious rivals Real Madrid, who have lost just their first final in four years, handed them the European Super Cup for a third time, with this latest win being the ninth time in ten years a Spanish club has won the UEFA Super Cup.