Two goals from the Portugal captain sealed a comfortable victory for Carlo Ancelotti's side in Cardiff as Toni Kroos and James Rodriguez made their competitive debuts
Agencies
Cardiff, August 13
Real Madrid claimed the Uefa Super Cup after two goals from Cristiano Ronaldo sealed a 2-0 win over Sevilla on Tuesday.
Gareth Bale – playing in his hometown of Cardiff – and new signing James Rodriguez had been the poster boys in the build-up to this fixture, but Ronaldo made sure he claimed the headlines in the Welsh capital.
Champions League winners Real were in control throughout against the Europa League victors, but had to wait until the half-hour mark to open the scoring.
Bale found Ronaldo with a wonderful cross from the left, teeing up the Portuguese for a relatively simple sliding finish.
Ronaldo made sure of Real's second Super Cup triumph four minutes after the interval with a powerful left-footed strike.
The match-winner's performance saw him take his tally of goals against Sevilla to 18 since his arrival in Madrid in 2009.
James and fellow new arrival Toni Kroos made their competitive debuts in an attacking Real XI and Sevilla – without Alberto Moreno, as he prepares to seal a move to Liverpool – had to withstand considerable pressure in the opening stages.
Ronaldo saw a free kick deflected onto the roof of the net 13 minutes in, while Real's menacing forward line almost delivered the goods five minutes later.
James whipped the ball into the penalty area after darting down the left wing, but Bale's finish was blocked by Denis Suarez, with replays suggesting the possible use of an arm by the Sevilla man.
Despite playing the role of spectator for 20 minutes, Iker Casillas had to be alert to keep out a Vitolo effort at his near post, before opposite number Beto denied Ronaldo from point-blank range at the other end.
It was Ronaldo who broke the deadlock soon after, however, sliding in to guide home a sensational Bale cross from deep.
Real continued to dominate possession for the remainder of the first half, but failed to carve out clear-cut opportunities to double their advantage.
However, they wasted no time in going two up after the break.
Ronaldo pulled the trigger from just inside the box after receiving possession from Karim Benzema, sending the ball hurtling past Beto and into the back of the net.
James drew a superb one-handed save from Beto in the 70th minute, before Carlo Ancelotti brought the Colombian's debut to an end with the introduction of Isco three minutes later.
Sevilla made a concerted late effort to reduce the deficit - Grzegorz Krychowiak seeing a shot from the edge of the area saved by Casillas before Diogo Figueiras fired just wide.
Yet the result was never in doubt as Real deservedly added the 2014 Uefa Super Cup to their trophy cabinet, and Bale almost provided a fairytale finish when bringing a save from Beto with the last action of the game.
Ronaldo overtakes Messi on European goals
Cristiano Ronaldo's double for Real Madrid in their 2-0 win over Sevilla in the Uefa Super Cup on Tuesday saw the Portuguese reach 70 goals in European competition and overtake Barcelona forward Lionel Messi in the process.
Ronaldo was a full 18 strikes behind Messi in April of 2012, but has closed that gap after netting 12 and then a record 17 in the last two editions of the Champions League - and his two goals on Tuesday mean he is now two ahead of the Argentine in the all-time list of European scorers.
The Portuguese now has 68 Champions League goals and two in the Uefa Super Cup for a total of 70, which leaves him tied second in the list of scorers in continental competitions with former AC Milan and Juventus striker Filippo Inzaghi.
Ronaldo is now only six adrift of former Madrid team-mate Raul, who scored 76 times in Europe for Real and Schalke.
Messi, meanwhile, has scored 68 times in total, with 67 of those converted in the Champions League and one in the Uefa Super Cup. In total, Ronaldo has now netted 254 goals in 247 games for Real Madrid.
