Bundesliga
Valiant Frankfurt fall to Real in UEFA Super Cup
UEFA Europa League holders Eintracht Frankfurt put in a valiant display against Real Madrid but came up short in the UEFA Super Cup after goals from David Alaba and Karim Benzema.
Teams
Real: Courtois - Carvajal (Rüdiger 85'), Militao, Alaba, Mendy - Kroos (Tchouameni 85'), Casemiro, Modric (Rodrygo 67') - Valverde (Camavinga 76'), Benzema (c), Vinicius (Ceballos 85')
Unused subs: Lunin, Vallejo, Nacho, Hazard, Asensio, Vazquez, Diaz
Out: -
Coach: Carlo Ancelotti
Frankfurt: Trapp - Toure (Alario 70'), Tuta, N’Dicka - Knauff, Sow, Rode (c) (Götze 59'), Lenz - Lindstrom (Kolo Muani 59'), Kamada - Borre
Unused subs: Grahl, Ramaj, Smolcic, Jakic, Alidou, Hasebe, Chandler, Hauge
Out: Buta (knee), Kostic (not included), Onguene (thigh)
Coach: Oliver Glasner
As it happened
2 - 0(1 - 0)
Madrid
FINAL
Frankfurt
vs
Full-time
Not to be for Frankfurt as they come up short against Real Madrid in Helsinki. But the Eagles have got a big season ahead of them as they prepare to take to the Champions League stage for the first time - one of five Bundesliga clubs in the pot for next week's draw. Eintracht return to league action on Saturday with a trip to Hertha Berlin.
90' +2
vs
Lucas Alario
90'
vs
Added time
Three more minutes to be played.
85'
vs
Antonio Rüdiger
Dani Carvajal
85'
vs
Aurelien Tchouameni
Toni Kroos
85'
vs
Dani Ceballos
Vinicius
82'
vs
Comes to nothing
Götze clips it in looking for the run of Ndicka but he can't keep it in.
82'
vs
Free-kick
Camavinga goes through the back of Alario and Eintracht have a free-kick about 30 yards out.
81'
vs
Kroos wide
Knauff lose the ball on the edge of the Real box and the Spanish side counter. It's two against two with Kroos arriving from deep. The former Bayern and Leverkusen man has a crack from 20 yards but drags well wide.
76'
vs
Eduardo Camavinga
Federico Valverde
75'
vs
Looking ahead
Fifteen minutes for Eintracht to get back into this. Regardless of the outcome, this will give them confidence after some strong spells going into the club's first ever Champions League campaign. They'll discover their opponents for the group stage next week.
69'
vs
All or nothing
Glasner goes for broke. A third striker on. One of the back three sacrificed.
69'
vs
Lucas Alario
Almamy Touré
67'
vs
Rodrygo
Luka Modric
65'
vs
Real double up
Vinicius picks up the ball down the left and cuts the ball back to Benzema, who pulled away on the edge of the box. It's a first-time finish with Trapp unsighted by Ndicka in front of him.
64'
vs
Knauff!
Space opens up for Knauff on the right as he's picked out by Kamada. The young winger drives inside and the Madrid defence seemingly parts to let him through. He goes for the outside-of-the-boot finish on his stronger right but Courtois is able to hold.
61'
vs
Off the bar
Much of this game has passed Casemiro by but he got the assist for Alaba and now rattles the crossbar with an effort from 20 yards.
58'
vs
Double change
Eintracht boss Oliver Glasner decides it's time. Rode passes on the armband to Sow as he's replaced by World Cup winner Götze. Lindstrom also makes way for Kolo Muani, who scored on his debut for the club against Bayern last Friday. An attacking switch by Frankfurt.
58'
vs
Randal Kolo Muani
Jesper Lindström
58'
vs
Mario Götze
Sebastian Rode
54'
vs
Trapp saves!
Good reactions from the Eintracht keeper as a Vinicius effort from 10 yards takes a wicked deflection, but Trapp adjusts well to make the save.
54'
vs
Final ball
We saw in the first half that Eintracht can find that final ball but just haven't been able to put it away. So far this half it's the final ball that's been lacking or gone astray.
46'
vs
No changes
No substitutions but Real look to have reverted to the formation they used at the start with Valverde out to the right.
0 - 0
Kick-off!
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Teams returning
There's been plenty of players out warming up during the break. Are we about to see some changes?
vs
Half-time
It's advantage Real after 45 minutes in Helsinki but that only tells you how close it's been. Eintracht enjoyed some really good spells of attacking possession and have had a few chances, but it's the Spanish side who lead after Alaba found space at a corner. Still a long way to go, though.
0 - 0
Half-time
42'
vs
Momentum shift
Things have suddenly swung Real's way in Helsinki as Trapp makes a save from Casemiro. Frankfurt were on top but now look to be trying to get to half-time.
41'
vs
Benzema wide
Good chance for the Real skipper as Kroos picks him out in the D. He takes a touch and it sits up nicely, but Benzema drills it wide.
36'
vs
Still tight
There hasn't been a goalless first half in the UEFA Super Cup since 2010. So far it's been Eintracht who have looked more likely to strike.
30'
vs
Corner
Eintracht again stream forward with a couple of passes. Knauff is up against Mendy on the right as he looks to cross but wins a corner out of it.
28'
vs
Lenz down
All eyes on the ball from the Eintracht man and ex-Leverkusen full-back Dani Carvajal as the pair go up for a header, but it's Lenz who comes off worse.
24'
vs
Slick again
Super touch in midfield from Rode to spin a marker and set Eintracht away. Lindstrom races forward with it and sees Lenz to the left. He tries to curl a low cross in to Borre running in at the far post, but the attempt is blocked. Good stuff yet again by the Europa League holders.
22'
vs
So far, so good
Bar that Vinicius chance, Frankfurt have looked solid and have also grown into this game. They're starting to look more confident on the ball.
17'
vs
Tuta to the rescue!
What a block by the Brazilian! Benzema moves the ball left to Vinicius, who has a free shot at goal and bends it past a helpless Trapp, but the Madrid man hadn't reckoned on his compatriot Tuta sliding in behind to make a crucial block and keep things level.
14'
vs
Kamada!
This time Courtois's save does count and it's a big one to deny Kamada as he gets onto the end of a defence-splitting ball from the outside of Lindstrom's boot after Knauff dispossessed Mendy. It's on his weaker left foot and a bit too close to the goalkeeper, but that's the first chance of the game and it's gone to the Bundesliga club.
12'
vs
Lindstrom offside
First time Eintracht go direct and it almost works as Borre turns a pass into feet around the corner with Lindstrom running in behind. His shot is saved by Courtois before the flag goes up. Remember UEFA are trialling semi-automated offsides tonight, but this was signalled by the English assistant on the pitch.
9'
vs
Tidy from Kamada
Modric is dispossessed in midfield and Kamada comes away with it, nimbly skipping past a couple of challenges before turning to keep possession. A confident move by the Japanese playmaker, who looks to be playing a bit deeper tonight.
6'
vs
Tentative
First sign of Eintracht using the ball and crossing the halfway line, but Ndicka is forced to go all the way back to Trapp in goal.
5'
vs
Settling in
Perhaps no surprise to see Frankfurt allowing Madrid the ball in the early stages as they find their feet and look for any potential holes to break into.
1'
vs
Kick-off!
We're under way in Helsinki. Can Eintracht bring yet more European silverware back to Germany?
0 - 0
Kick-off!
vs
Heavy defeats to historic losses
Tonight’s game is Madrid’s 73rd competitive encounter with German opposition. No club from outside of Spain has beaten them more times than Bayern Munich, but there’s plenty other defeats in there too, including a historic thrashing by Kaiserslautern and a record four goals from Robert Lewandowski. Check them all out in the link below.
Latest
"I want to be the final piece of the jigsaw that the team has been missing," Götze said after joining Frankfurt from PSV Eindhoven in the summer. The 30-year-old, who lifted five Bundesliga titles with Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, and famously scored the goal that won Germany the 2014 FIFA World Cup, also spoke of his admiration for Eintracht's unbeaten Europa League-winning campaign that accounted for the likes of Barcelona, West Ham and Rangers. Despite starting Götze in Frankfurt's first two competitive fixtures of 2022/23 - a DFB Cup first-round victory over Magdeburg and Bundesliga Matchday 1 loss for Bayern - head coach Oliver Glasner rotateS his side in the Finnish capital. Daichi Kamada, who scored twice against Magdeburg comeS back into the starting line-up, but Randal Kolo Muani, impressed with a consolation goal from the bench in the 6-1 loss to Bayern, will have to wait his chance again. New signing Hrvoje Smolcic is among the subs after serving a domestic ban carried over from the Croatian top flight. Argentine striker Lucas Alario is another option if needed from the bench, but the club have confirmed that Filip Kostic will not be involved as he negotiates a move away.
A Real Madrid team spearheaded by Karim Benzema lost to Götze's Dortmund in the 2012/13 UEFA Champions League semi-finals. Almost 10 years on, the 34-year-old - a 2018 World Cup winner with France - is still the focal point of attack for the most successful club team in Champions League history. He top scored with 15 goals as Real beat Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester City and Liverpool on their way to winning their 14th European Cup last season. Ex-Bayern head coach Carlo Ancelotti was the brains behind the success, ably assisted by former Bundesliga players David Alaba (Bayern), Dani Carvajal (Bayer Leverkusen) and Toni Kroos (Bayern and Leverkusen). The 2021/22 La Liga winners have since added former Dortmund and VfB Stuttgart centre-back Antonio Rüdiger to their ranks, but haven't always had the best of luck against German opposition, losing UEFA competition games to Bayern, Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen, Schalke, Werder Bremen, Cologne, Hamburg and Kaiserslautern. The Super Cup marks their first competitive fixture of the new season.
Watch: Frankfurt's goal-hungry Eagles: Rafael Borre and Lucas Alario
Match stats
- Frankfurt are only the third team to go unbeaten on their way to winning the Europa League.
- Götze has three assists in eight meetings with Real.
- Kostic was the 2021/22 Europa League's top assister, best for crosses from open play and Player of the Tournament.
- Victory in the Europa League final means Frankfurt haven't lost in UEFA competition since a 2019/20 Europa League last-16 reverse to Basel.
- The Eagles have won six of their 10 games against La Liga clubs overall, losing only one - a 1960 European Cup final defeat to Madrid in their first meeting with Spanish opposition.
- Real's Alaba, Carvajal, Kroos and Rüdiger made 569 Bundesliga appearances between them.