CARDIFF, United Kingdom, Aug 13 (AFP): Cristiano Ronaldo upstaged new team-mates Toni Kroos and James Rodriguez and homecoming hero Gareth Bale as Real Madrid beat Sevilla 2-0 in Cardiff Tuesday to win the UEFA Super Cup.
World Cup stars Kroos and Rodriguez were making their Madrid debuts, while Bale was returning to his hometown, but it was Ronaldo, characteristically, who hogged the spotlight with a brace in the Welsh capital.
The Portugal captain claimed a 30th-minute opener from Bale's cross and then slammed home a second goal shortly after half-time to earn the European champions what could be the first of six trophies this season.
"We knew this would be a complex game, but we played well and created goal-scoring opportunities," said Ronaldo, who was named man of the match by his former Manchester United mentor Alex Ferguson. On Kroos and Rodriguez, he added: "These are two crucial players for us. They played well and they helped the team win this important trophy."
While 80-million-euro ($108 million) new recruit Rodriguez had a modest debut, Madrid's new-look attack-which cost roughly 310 million euros to assemble-showed ominous flashes of quality.
Ronaldo still the boss as Madrid win Super Cup
FE Team | Published: August 14, 2014 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2026 06:01:00
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