REAL Madrid won the Spanish Super Cup for the first time since 2003 with a 4-2 win at home over Valencia with goals by Ruud van Nistelrooy, Sergio Ramos, Ruben de la Red and Gonzalo Higuian.
The Spanish champions headed into the return leg of the tournament — which is contested each year between the league champions and the winners of the King’s Cup — with a 3-2 deficit.
Valencia midfielder David Silva, who helped Spain to win Euro 2008, opened the scoring in the 32nd minute with an accurate shot that slipped in the left side of the net as Real keeper Iker Casillas looked on helplessly.
Real striker van Nistelrooy equalized four minutes into the second half with a penalty kick that slid past the right side of Valencia goalkeeper Timo Hildebrand.
The Spanish champions were awarded the penalty after a goal-line incident involving Valencia defender Raul Albiol.
Real Madrid took the lead in the 77th minute with a confusing and contested goal by defender Sergio Ramos from close range.
De la Reg scored in the 85th minute from 35 meters with Higuain adding the club’s fourth goal three minutes later.
Morientes managed to score a second for Valencia in the dying minutes of the match following a pass from David Villa.
Players observed a minute of silence before the start of the match as a mark of respect for the 154 people who died after a Spanair jet crashed Wednesday at Madrid airport shortly after takeoff.
Among the victims of the crash, Spain’s worst aviation accident in 25 years, was the Bulgarian mother of 15-year-old Martin Kozhuharova who was recently recruited by Real Madrid’s youth team.
Argentine midfielder Fernando Gago and Brazilian defender Marcelo were absent due to their participation at the Olympics in China for their national squads.
Schuster included in his squad Brazilian forward Robinho, who on Friday called on the club to let him join Chelsea before the transfer window closes at the end of the month, but did not include him in his starting line-up.
The player was jeered by a small group of fans as he left Real’s team hotel and when he arrived at the club’s Bernabeu stadium.
“Robinho don’t be ungrateful, stay,” read one black and white sign that was hung from the stands in the stadium by fans during the match.
Pepe returned to the squad after being suspended for the opening encounter.
Rafael Van der Vaart started for Real and received a red card in the first half during his first appearance in front of the Madrid fans since joining the club from Hamburg earlier this month.(SD-Agencies)