Sevilla crushes Real Madrid to take Super Cup

MADRID: Sevilla got the new season off to a glittering start when it claimed its fifth trophy in a little over a year after a 5-3 win against Real Madrid in the second leg of the Spanish Super Cup at the Bernabeu on Sunday.

A hat-trick from leading striker Frederic Kanoute and a double from Brazilian midfielder Renato earned Juande Ramos's side a 6-3 aggregate victory against the Spanish champions.

Sevilla has won back-to-back UEFA Cups, the King's Cup and the European Super Cup in the space of the past 15 months.

Real, who has overhauled its squad since Fabio Capello was sacked after steering the team to the league title last season, looked ragged throughout and new coach Bernd Schuster has plenty to do before the league begins this week.

It was the second time that Schuster has fallen victim to Sevilla at the Bernabeu in the last two months. The German's former club Getafe lost to the Andalucians in the final of the King's Cup in June.

"Our first Super Cup confirms that we are the best side in Spain," an elated Sevilla president Jose Maria del Nido told reporters.

Sevilla, 1-0 up after last week's first leg, made a confident start against a sluggish-looking Real, taking the lead when Renato steered home unopposed in the 17th minute after some slack defending from a free kick.

Real barely threatened the Sevilla goal in the opening quarter, but equalized out of the blue thanks to a spectacular goal from new signing Royston Drenthe.

The former Feyenoord player looked up and cracked a fierce drive off the underside of the bar and into the net from close to 30m out.

But Sevilla restored its lead five minutes later, Renato notching up his second when he got between the Real center-backs to head home after Duda had spun a fine cross into the area.

Real was still reeling from the blow when Sevilla was awarded a penalty after new signing Pepe handled as he battled to clear the ball from the area.

Kanoute, who had scored in each of Sevilla's previous four trophy victories, made it five out of five when he sent Iker Casillas the wrong way with a coolly taken spot kick to put his side 3-1 up in the 38th minute.

The first-half action was not over yet, however, and Real narrowed Sevilla's lead just before the break when Fabio Cannavaro powered in a header at the far post after a Wesley Sneijder free kick.

Schuster threw playmaker Guti on at halftime and Real began to play more fluently, levelling the game when former Sevilla player Sergio Ramos headed in 12 minutes from time.

But Kanoute put his side in front again four minutes later, making the most of a misunderstanding between Pepe and Casillas to slot home from close range.

Real was reduced to 10 men soon after when Pepe ended a forgettable home debut with a red card and Kanoute took immediate advantage to complete his third when he slotted home in injury time.

Agencies

(China Daily 08/21/2007 page23)