Barcelona: Cristiano Ronaldo scored a sensational goal and was then sent off for a combination of his provocative celebration and for diving as Real Madrid beat Barcelona 3-1 in an explosive Spanish Super Cup first leg football match here Sunday.
Gerard Pique scored an own goal early in the second half to give Real the lead in the annual curtain raiser between the Liga champions and the King’s Cup holders although Lionel Messi looked to have saved his blushes by scoring a controversial penalty in the 77th minute after Luis Suarez was fouled.
Substitute Ronaldo rattled in a sensational strike from outside the area three minutes later to restore the La Liga and European champions’ advantage, earning a booking for removing his shirt and mimicking Messi’s celebration at the Santiago Bernabeu in last April’s Clasico.
Ronaldo was given a second yellow card moments later for diving to attempt to win a penalty and will miss Wednesday’s second leg at the Bernabeu. After he was ordered off, the Portuguese pushed referee Ricardo De Burgos Bengoetxea in frustration.
Barca rallied late in search of an equaliser but Spanish forward Marco Asensio instead extended Madrid’s advantage in the tie with a scorching strike from outside the area in the 90th minute to cap a thrilling second half.
“These games are like this, you switch off for one second and relax and loads of things happen, but I’m very happy with the game,” said Madrid captain Sergio Ramos. “We’re fighting for a trophy and this is an important step.”
The highly entertaining second period was in stark contrast to a sleepy opening 45 minutes which lacked the atmosphere associated with football’s biggest rivalry due to the game not selling out and with a large number of tourists present.
Barca failed to sparkle, with Gerard Deulofeu proving an unfit substitute for the departed Neymar, while Madrid looked lightweight up front without Ronaldo, who began on the bench, and lacking creativity in the absence of the suspended Luka Modric.
The game burst into life after the break, however. Pique inadvertently broke the deadlock by diverting Marcelo’s cross into his own net.
Barca suddenly woke up and were denied an equaliser due to a brilliant double save by Real goalkeeper Keylor Navas. However, the Costa Rican could do nothing as Messi scored from the spot which was awarded for a foul on Luis Suarez.
But then Messi was soon upstaged at the other end by Ronaldo. Youngster Asensio had the last word, however, the 21-year-old producing a stunning strike and putting Madrid well in charge in their pursuit of a first Super Cup since 2012.
Ronaldo faces four-game ban
Cristiano Ronaldo is set to be banned for at least four games after he pushed referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea during Real Madrid’s Spanish Super Cup tie with Barcelona. The referee in his report to the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) has written ‘Cristiano Ronaldo Dos Santos Aveiro – having been shown the red card, the player pushed me slightly in a sign of his disagreement’. The RFEF’s disciplinary code states clearly that the punishment for such behaviour, ‘is an extra suspension of four to 12 games’.
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