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The annual curtain raiser for the European football season took place once again last night with Real Madrid winning 3-2 against Sevilla.
It was the Champions League winners who started the better of the two sides and were ultimately rewarded for their good start when youngster Marco Anensio scored with a thunderous long-range strike in the 21st minute.
Sevilla, who have won the last three Europa League titles, responded well for new manager Jorge Sampaoli, who was in his first competitive game in charge of the club, recently replacing Unai Emery whom was appointed Paris St-Germain manager.
The Europa league winners levelled through Franco Vazquez just before half time and then in the 72nd minute, playmaker Yevhen Konoplyanka’s penalty gave them the lead in the game.
It looked to be the winner until Sergio Ramos, a exact replica of what happened in the Champions League final against city rivals Atletico Madrid, scored a 93rd minute headed equaliser.
When Sevilla’s Kolodziejczak got sent off for a second yellow card at the start of extra-time, if there was going to be a winner before penalties it looked to be Real Madrid. This proved to be the case when in the 119th minute defender Dani Carvajal scored after a powerful run into the penalty area to give Zinedine Zidane his second trophy since being appointed Real boss in January.
Carvajal, the match winning goal scorer, told BBC Sport: “We were trailing for all of the second half, but Madrid never give up and a goal in 90 minutes allowed us to become champions.
“Today we had a lot of players missing but we have a great squad of home-grown players.”
Real Madrid were without Gareth Bale and Toni Kroos that have been given more time off after competing at the European Championships and Cristiano Ronaldo who is out injured. Their team still included the likes of Sergio Ramos, Alvaro Morata and Isco, all of which were included in Spain’s squad for the recent Euros.
Real Madrid start off their La Liga campaign away to Real Sociedad on 21st August hoping to better their second place finish last season, while Sevilla have a two-leg tie against Barcelona to decide the Spanish Super Cup.
