Real Madrid and Manchester United entertained a sold out crowd in Macedonia. This game was between two of the most followed football clubs in the world and as a result, it was never going to disappoint. Both sides played full strength sides and due to this, the crowd was entertained by a great game of football that ended with the team from Spain lifting the trophy.
Match summary
The match started off at a fast pace with Real Madrid controlling much of the ball in the early parts of the game. The likes of Bale, Isco, and Benzema were continuously attacking the Manchester United defense and this allowed the Spanish side to dominate the game.
This opening half dominance finally paid dividends for the Spanish side as Brazilian midfielder, Casemiro, scored just before the 30-minute mark. The Champion's League winners doubled their lead in the second half as Spanish midfielder, Isco, split open the Manchester United defense. Manchester United would reply to this goal within 10-minutes as Romelu Lukaku scored. The Red Devils would try to find an equalizer in the remaining half an hour of the game but Real Madrid's defense stood strong to prevent any more goals.
Analysis of Real Madrid's performance
The Spanish side was very dominant and as a result, most of their players played well. The stand out performer from this side was Croatian midfielder, Luca Modric.
This superstar managed to control the entire game from midfield, ensuring that his team dominated the match. His ball control, vision and work rate was very impressive. In addition to Modric, Isco and Casemiro also had good games. Both these players scored goals and they helped Luca Modric well in the midfield. In other parts of the field, the Real Madrid defense was also solid.
The likes of Sergio Ramos and Marcelo ensured that Manchester United did not have much of a chance of scoring.
Analysis of Manchester United's performance
The Red Devils did not play well with the side being outclassed by their opposition. The defenders had a poor game with Lindelof and Smalling looking very shaky. The midfield was not much better as they failed to maintain possession.
Herrera and Pogba had poor games with neither managing to influence the game. Matic, on the other hand, had a decent debut but he did not have enough support to change the outcome of the match. Finally, the strikers were also off key. Lukaku scored but the rest of the strikers wasted too many chances.
