Dani Carvajal scored a memorable 119th minute winner to hand his side a 3-2 victory over Sevilla in the European Super Cup at the Lerkendal Stadion in Norway on Tuesday.
Jorge Sampaoli’s side looked to be on course for a trophy in his first competitive match in charge of the club after Franco Vazquez and Yevhen Konoplyanka had cancelled out Marco Asensio’s stunning opener.
However, Sergio Ramos rescued extra time in the 93rd minute before Carvajal stole the win with a fine solo effort to fire his side to glory.
Madrid went into the match without the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Pepe, Gareth Bale and Toni Kroos following their Euro 2016 exploits, but that didn’t prevent them from making a quick start to the match and Ramos was the first to threaten with a header in the seventh minute.
The Europa League holders did start to settle into the match, but there was nothing Rico could do to prevent Madrid from taking the lead midway through the half as Asensio fired an unstoppable 30-yard strike into the top corner.
Sevilla, who were appearing in an unprecedented third consecutive Super Cup, finally created their first chance of the match shortly before the half-hour mark when Franco Vazquez stood the ball up for an unmarked Mariano at the back post, but the Brazilian sliced his volley well off target.
The equalising goal did arrive with less than five minutes remaining of the first half, though, and again it was a debutant who got it as Franco Vazquez steered a well-controlled volley into the bottom corner, opening his Sevilla account following his summer move from Palermo.
Madrid were bidding for a third European Super Cup triumph following their successes in 2002 and 2014, the latter of which came against Sevilla, but they saw another chance go begging shortly after the hour mark when first Karim Benzema and then Ramos failed to convert headers.
Sampaoli turned to Konoplyanka from his bench in an attempt to win the game, and within four minutes of his introduction the Ukrainian winger had given his side the lead from the penalty spot.
It was Ramos who conceded the spot kick for a trip on Vitolo as he cut inside, and Konoplyanka coolly sent Casilla the wrong way to roll the ball into the bottom corner from 12 yards.
Just as Sevilla looked to be heading for the victory, Ramos redeemed himself in the third minute of stoppage time by levelling things up, applying a simple headed finish to Lucas Vazquez’s cross to force extra time.
Madrid’s pressure continued in the second period of extra time, and Sevilla needed Rico in fine form to keep them in the game as first he denied James after the Colombian had been cleverly found by Benzema.
The winning goal did finally come in the 119th-minute, though, as Carvajal danced his way into the area past a number of statuesque defenders before picking out the far corner with the outside of his boot to secure the trophy for his side.