Nine against eleven was enough
Real Madrid were behind in the tie, conceded at home and finished the match with nine players. Under normal circumstances, that would be more than enough reason to accept defeat. At the Santiago Bernabéu on 24 August 2008, however, logic was given the night off.
Valencia had won the first leg of the Spanish Super Cup 3–2 at Mestalla. Ruud van Nistelrooy scored twice for Madrid, but goals from Juan Mata, David Villa and Vicente left Bernd Schuster’s team needing a comeback in the return fixture.
The task became even harder in the 33rd minute. David Silva struck from outside the penalty area to give Valencia the lead and make it 4–2 on aggregate. Shortly before half-time, Rafael van der Vaart was shown a straight red card for a challenge on Mata.
Madrid entered the interval a man down and two goals behind in the tie. Valencia had the scoreline, the numerical advantage and every reason to believe the trophy was theirs. What they did not have was any control over the second half.
Raúl Albiol handled the ball inside the area in the 50th minute and Van Nistelrooy converted the resulting penalty. The Dutchman had given Madrid hope, but later received a second yellow card. The hosts were reduced to nine.
That was when the real comeback began.
Sergio Ramos made it 2–1 in the 76th minute after reacting quickest inside the penalty area. That score would already have given Madrid the trophy on away goals, but Schuster’s side showed little interest in spending the closing stages protecting a fragile advantage.
Rubén de la Red came off the bench in the 79th minute and scored from distance six minutes later. Gonzalo Higuaín then took advantage of a defensive mistake, rounded Timo Hildebrand and added a fourth. Madrid had scored three times in 12 minutes while playing nine against eleven.
Former Madrid striker Fernando Morientes pulled one back in the 90th minute, but Valencia had run out of time. Real won the match 4–2, the tie 6–5 on aggregate and lifted the eighth Spanish Super Cup in the club’s history.
Valencia had the numerical advantage for most of the second half. Madrid had Ramos, De la Red, Higuaín and the strange freedom that sometimes appears once a situation has become too hopeless to approach sensibly.
Eighteen years later, the match remains one of Real Madrid’s most remarkable comebacks. Not simply because they survived two red cards. They scored three of their four goals after the second dismissal.
Sources: Real Madrid – official anniversary feature · UEFA – original match report · ANSA/Emol – contemporary report from the night of the match
