ÖFB star David Alaba and Co. got the better of Athletic Bilbao 2-0 in the final of the final tournament held in Riyadh on Sunday evening. The “Royal” dethroned the defending champion and also took revenge late for the semi-final defeat in January 2021. For Real it is the second title win in the last three competitions.
Luka Modric put the LaLiga leaders on the road to victory in the 38th minute at the King Fahd International Stadium after Rodrygo assisted, Karim Benzema made everything clear with a converted hands-on penalty (52nd) after the break. In the final phase, Alaba’s central defender colleague Eder Militao (87th) saw the red card for a handball, but Bilbao “joker” Raul Garcia was unable to take the chance from the penalty spot to score the goal, finding his master in Thibaut Courtois.
In the semi-finals, Real defeated FC Barcelona 3-2 after extra time, while Bilbao beat Atletico Madrid 2-1. Alaba was missing against the Catalans but has now resumed his usual role as chief of defence. For the first time, the ex-Bayern player was able to celebrate a title in real clothes. For coach Carlo Ancelotti, the feeling is nothing new, as he had already successfully coached the club during his first term in office, which ended in 2015, and also won the Champions League around 2014.
Source: Nachrichten
