After winning the champions league last season, Real Madrid lifts the fourth trophy this calendar year with the Uefa Super Cup.
Karim Benzema continued his pursuit of the Ballon d’Or by scoring Real Madrid’s 324th goal as they overcame Eintracht Frankfurt to claim the Uefa Super Cup in Helsinki.
The first goal of Carlo Ancelotti’s club, which overcame Liverpool to lift the Champions League trophy in May, was scored by David Alaba. Casemiro’s header straight across the goal left Frankfurt goalkeeper Kevin Trapp helpless. After the break, Benzema extended the advantage for the Spanish powerhouses with a first-time strike from Vinicius Jr.’s cross, moving ahead of Raul and only Cristiano Ronaldo, who has 450 goals, for second place on Real’s all-time goalscoring record.
Frankfurt, who were playing in the Super Cup for the first time, had their moments, the best coming when Daichi Kamada was let through early on; however, the Europa League champions were overshadowed once Real got going.
Real Madrid’s Super Cup Win And Karim Benzema’s Contribution To It Could Mean A Confirmed Ballon D’Or For The French International:
Real Madrid’s Benzema is coming off the most productive season of his career, hitting 44 goals in 46 games to help his team win the Champions League and La Liga double. He appears to be in good shape to carry on this form.
The 34-year-old, who led Real in the Super Cup final, acknowledged this week that his former teammate Ronaldo “helped me on and off the pitch,” but he also acknowledged that he was able to modify his style and score more goals after the Portugal star left.
After his strike on Wednesday, Benzema overtook Ronaldo as Real’s second-leading scorer of all time, and he is now looking at both individual and team awards. He is now the heavy favorite for the Ballon d’Or in October.