Nine years since Real Madrid crushed Barcelona 5–1

Some defeats are best followed by a quick change of subject. Barcelona would probably prefer to remove the entire month of August 2017 from the archive. Nine years ago today, Real Madrid defeated them 2–0 at the Santiago Bernabéu and completed a crushing 5–1 aggregate victory in the Spanish Super Cup.

The first leg was played at Camp Nou on 13 August. Gerard Piqué’s own goal gave Madrid the lead before Lionel Messi equalised from the penalty spot. Cristiano Ronaldo restored the visitors’ advantage two minutes later, and Marco Asensio finished the night with a magnificent left-footed strike from outside the box to make it 3–1.

Three days later, Zinédine Zidane’s side completed the job in Madrid. Barcelona arrived needing an unlikely comeback, but Asensio required only four minutes to make their task almost impossible. The Spaniard unleashed another brilliant left-footed shot from distance, leaving Marc-André ter Stegen with no chance.

Karim Benzema doubled the lead before half-time. He controlled Marcelo’s cross inside the penalty area, turned away from Samuel Umtiti and finished calmly past ter Stegen.

Barcelona created several chances after the break. Lionel Messi struck the crossbar, Luis Suárez hit the post and Keylor Navas was called into action, but the visitors could not find a way back into the match. Real Madrid’s aggregate advantage was never seriously threatened.

Asensio became only the fourth Real Madrid player to score against Barcelona in both legs of a Spanish Super Cup tie. Iván Zamorano, Raúl González and Cristiano Ronaldo were the only players to have achieved it before him. Both of Asensio’s goals were scored with his left foot from outside the penalty area.

Real Madrid secured the tenth Spanish Super Cup in the club’s history. It was also Zidane’s second trophy of the season, arriving only days after victory over Manchester United in the UEFA Super Cup. At that stage, the Frenchman had won all seven finals he had contested as Madrid coach.

For Ernesto Valverde, it was his first competitive tie in charge of Barcelona. His first opportunity to lift a trophy ended with two defeats, five goals conceded and Real Madrid celebrating at the Santiago Bernabéu. It was a particularly unforgiving start to his time on the Barcelona bench.