Karim Benzema continued his Ballon d’Or pursuit with a 324th goal for European champions Real Madrid as they beat Eintracht Frankfurt to lift the Uefa Super Cup in Helsinki.
Carlo Ancelotti’s side, who beat Liverpool to win the Champions League in May, took the lead when David Alaba tapped into an empty net, with Frankfurt goalkeeper Kevin Trapp stranded following Casemiro’s header back across goal.
Benzema doubled the Spanish giants’ lead after the break with a first-time finish from Vinicius Jr’s cross to move second on Real’s all-time goalscoring list, overtaking Raul and behind only Cristiano Ronaldo who has 450 goals.
Frankfurt, making their Super Cup debut, had moments of their own – the best when Daichi Kamada was sent through early on, but the Europa League winners looked second best once Real hit their stride
Ancelotti named the same XI that started the Champions League final and there was a swagger to Real’s play that comes with being crowned European champions for the 14th time – and now adding a fifth Super Cup to their trophy cabinet.
Frankfurt, meanwhile, earned a place in the continent’s top-tier competition with their Europa League success over Rangers.
This meeting was their first against Real Madrid since a 7-3 defeat in the 1960 European Cup final and will give the Bundesliga side a gauge of what is to come.
After Japan striker Kamada failed to beat Thibaut Courtois to put the Germans ahead, they needed Brazilian defender Tuta to make a superb goalline block to deny Vinicius following a slick Real move at the other end.
Vinicius and Benzema have forged an almost telepathic understanding in attack and combined on the left to free the Brazilian, who shifted the ball onto his right foot and forced Trapp into a fingertip save from distance.
From the resulting 37th-minute corner came Real’s breakthrough, with Alaba handed the simplest of finishes from close range.
France forward Benzema has never won the Ballon d’Or but his form in helping Real to the Champions League and La Liga title means that may soon change.
The 34-year-old almost made it two with a fizzed half volley that was narrowly off target.
But Benzema did get the goal he needed to pull clear of Raul on the club’s all-time scoring charts in the 65th minute.
Once again it saw him combine with Vinicius, the young forward this time finding Benzema pulling away just inside the box and the veteran beat Trapp with a snappy effort to put the game beyond Frankfurt.
Casemiro had earlier curled against the bar from distance and Ancelotti, who suggested this week it was possible for Real to win all six competitions they are in this season, was able to hand debuts to new signings Antonio Rudiger and Aurelien Tchouameni.
