Real Madrid thrashed Valencia with Toni Kroos scoring direct from a corner in the revamped Spanish Super Cup first semi-final on Wednesday.
The game was played at a half-empty King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where the tournament is taking place for the next two years.
Barcelona face Atletico Madrid in the other semi-final with the final on Sunday night in the same venue, fighting it out to play Zinedine Zidane’s side.
Madrid came close early on as they set out their stall, with Casemiro’s header well dealt with by Jaume Domenech. However the goalkeeper was to blame when Los Blancos took the lead after 15 minutes.
Like in the Copa del Rey semi-final when he conceded a goal from a corner to Real Betis’s Joaquin Sanchez, Jaume made the same mistake again.
He was caught out by Kroos’s quick corner and could only push the ball into the roof of the net.
Isco drilled home the second for dominant Madrid after Luka Modric’s effort was blocked and bounced into the Spaniard’s path in the 39th minute.
Zinedine Zidane’s side nearly managed a third when Isco hit the post and then Jaume denied Luka Jovic on the follow-up from close range.
Serbian forward Jovic barely had a sniff in a rare start, which he was afforded because Bale, Benzema and Hazard are all out injured.
It didn’t matter, with his side utterly rampant and the third came in the second half when Modric swerved an effort home with the outside of his boot. Delectable, and it shows what good form Madrid find themselves in, and how hard it will be for their opponents on Sunday.
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Valencia were awarded a late penalty after a Sergio Ramos handball and Dani Parejo slammed it home, although it didn’t give Los Che much cheer.