Real Madrid saw off a youthful Barcelona side 3-2 in the semi-finals of the Spanish Super Cup after twice being pegged back by their determined rivals.
A spirited performance right up to the end by Ancelotti’s men culminated in Uruguayan midfielder Fede Valverde grabbing the winner in extra time.
The victory represented Madrid’s fifth straight victory over the Blaugrana, and 100th in the El Clasico overall.
The game encapsulated everything Spanish football stands for, including prolonged periods of possession, fast interplays and tidy finishing, and it brought out some rather interesting reactions back home.
Real got off to the perfect start as Brazilian winger Vinicius Jr grabbed the opener in the Super Cup meeting at Riyadh between Spain’s two most decorated teams.
Karim Benzema helped Los Blancos retake the lead in the second half after a rather fortuitous leveller from Luuk de Jong saw Barca level at the break. But Real were pegged back again when Ansu Fati grabbed a late headed equaliser to send the game into extra time.
A surprisingly tight contest, in the end, was settled by Fede Valverde’s calm finish to a superb, free-flowing Real Madrid move which finally put Barca’s youthful team to the sword.
It sent not just the Galactico fans in the stadium wild, but the Uruguayan’s own girlfriend watching at home jumping like crazy.
A clip that has gone viral on Twitter shows Valverde’s better half Mina Bonino going nuts after the midfielder slotted home the match-winning goal in the first half of extra-time.
The popular Argentine, who works as a journalist, can be seen watching the game on TV intently before the winning goal sees her going ape. She is seen taking off her shirt and leaping in joy on the couch as her family members watch on.
The intense yet cute moment captured in the clip shows just how strong a connection the pair has, wherein every moment is cherished and celebrated with pure, unparalleled joy.
