Madrid beats Barca 2-0 without Ronaldo to win Super Cup

 

" Real Madrid beat Barcelona 2-0 to complete a 5-1 victory on aggregate in the Spanish Super Cup on Wednesday, dominating

its fiercest rival without the need of Cristiano Ronaldo or Gareth Bale.

Marco Asensio and Karim Benzema provided the goals in the second leg for a Madrid side that showed every ounce of confidence that Barcelona sorely lacked.

While Bale was rested on the bench, Ronaldo watched the game from the Santiago Bernabeu stands as he completed the first game of a five-match ban for pushing the referee who sent him off in Sunday's 3-1 first-leg win.

Asensio filled in perfectly for Madrid's star, scoring five minutes into the match for his second goal in the season's curtain raiser.

Benzema added a second goal in the 39th after Lucas Vazquez had already hit the post for the hosts.

Last season's Liga and Champions League winners, Madrid also beat Manchester United to win the European Super Cup last week.

Barcelona struggled to score for a second match since the stunning departure of Neymar on a world-record transfer to Paris Saint-Germain. The closest it went to scoring was Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez hitting the woodwork in the second half after the title was already in Madrid's grasp.