Real Madrid 2 Man Utd 1: Casemiro and Isco hand Zinedine Zidane UEFA Super Cup glory

JOSE MOURINHO'S search for his elusive first UEFA Super Cup goes on.

Posted Wednesday, August 09, 2017 by Dailystar.co.uk

Real Madrid 2 Man Utd 1: Casemiro and Isco hand Zinedine Zidane UEFA Super Cup glory
Real Madrid lifted the Super Cup after beating Man Utd 2-1 in Skopje

This was his third defeat in the showpiece match but Mourinho will be more concerned that for much of the game his Manchester United team looked second best to the European champions in Skopje.

It confirmed his pre-match assessment that they need to bridge a gap if they are to make an impact on their return to the Champions League.

Well-taken goals by Casemiro and Isco put Real Madrid two-up and they hit the woodwork twice, as well as being denied by David De Gea on a couple of occasions.

Romelu Lukaku made a amends for an awful miss by pulling one back to spark a spirited United fightback that kept them in with a chance right to the end.

The Europa League winners lived dangerously from the start and it was no great surprise when they went behind.

Gareth Bale had wasted a chance after only two minutes when Paul Pogba and Nemanja Matic left it to each other to clear Marcelo's deflected cross.

And Casemiro served notice of what was to come when he hit the bar with a diving header from a Toni Kroos corner.

He also fired over the bar – but it was a case of third time lucky for Casemiro after 24 minutes when he produced a fine finish from Dani Carvajal's crossfield ball.

There was a suspicion of offside as the midfielder got in behind Victor Lindelof but the assistant ref kept his flag down.

Replays showed Casemiro might just have been in an offside position when the ball was played but it was an almost impossible call for the assistant on the far side.

Manchester United wasted a couple of rare openings when Henrikh Mkhitaryan tripped over his own feet after bursting past Sergio Ramos to give himself a clear run on goal.

And when Pogba raced away on the counter after Casemiro had hit the bar, he should have played in Jesse Lingard, who was totally unmarked and screaming for the ball on the left.

Real Madrid 2 Man Utd 1: Casemiro and Isco hand Zinedine Zidane UEFA Super Cup glory
Isco scored the winner for Real Madrid against Man Utd in the Super Cup

But Pogba ignored his team-mate and elected to have a shot, which was blocked. Lingard was furious – and so was Mourinho when a drinks break was called after half an hour in sweltering FYROM.

It was a chance for United to catch their breath and an animated Mourinho to give them some much-needed instructions.

Karim Benzema forced a save out of De Gea and Lindelof was booked for a foul on Isco, but the Red Devils improved towards half-time.

Lukaku, who had been starved of any service, got his first effort on target with a powerful header that flew straight at Keylor Navas.

But it was Real who seized the initiative in the second half. De Gea made a fine save to keep out a Kroos shot and Marcelo saw his deflected shot hit the side-netting.

So it was no surprise that Real extended their lead after 52 minutes. Benzema passed the ball in from the left for Isco to play a clever one-two with Bale that opened up United's defence. Isco kept his cool to guide a shot past De Gea into the far corner.

Real Madrid 2 Man Utd 1: Casemiro and Isco hand Zinedine Zidane UEFA Super Cup glory
Romelu Lukaku was on target for Man Utd in the UEFA Super Cup

But Lukaku should have pulled a goal back almost immediately. Navas pushed out Pogba's header to give the striker an inviting chance 10 yards out but he lashed it wide. It was with his weaker right foot but when you pay £75m for a striker, you expect better.

Real hit the woodwork for the second time when Bale crashed a shot against the bar but a hugely relieved Lukaku made amends for his miss in the 62nd minute.

Navas fumbled Matic's powerful shot from the edge of the area and this time Lukaku, in the centre of the goal, really couldn't miss – and didn't.

REAL MADRID (4-3-3): Navas; Carvajal, Varane, Ramos, Marcelo; Modric, Casemiro, Kroos; Isco (Vazquez 74), Benzema (Ronaldo 83), Bale (Asensio 74). Subs: Casilla, Nacho, Theo, Kovacic.

MAN UNITED (4-2-3-1): De Gea; Valencia, Lindelof, Smalling, Darmian; Matic, Herrera (Fellaini 56); Lingard (Rashford 46), Pogba, Mkhitaryan; Lukaku. Subs: Romero, Mata, Martial, Carrick, Blind.

Referee: Gianluca Rocchi (Italy).