UEFA Europa League holders Eintracht Frankfurt put in a valiant display against Real Madrid but came up short in the UEFA Super Cup after goals from David Alaba and Karim Benzema.

Teams

Real: Courtois - Carvajal (Rüdiger 85'), Militao, Alaba, Mendy - Kroos (Tchouameni 85'), Casemiro, Modric (Rodrygo 67') - Valverde (Camavinga 76'), Benzema (c), Vinicius (Ceballos 85')
Unused subs: Lunin, Vallejo, Nacho, Hazard, Asensio, Vazquez, Diaz
Out: -
Coach: Carlo Ancelotti

Frankfurt: Trapp - Toure (Alario 70'), Tuta, N’Dicka - Knauff, Sow, Rode (c) (Götze 59'), Lenz - Lindstrom (Kolo Muani 59'), Kamada - Borre
Unused subs: Grahl, Ramaj, Smolcic, Jakic, Alidou, Hasebe, Chandler, Hauge
Out: Buta (knee), Kostic (not included), Onguene (thigh)
Coach: Oliver Glasner

As it happened

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"I want to be the final piece of the jigsaw that the team has been missing," Götze said after joining Frankfurt from PSV Eindhoven in the summer. The 30-year-old, who lifted five Bundesliga titles with Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, and famously scored the goal that won Germany the 2014 FIFA World Cup, also spoke of his admiration for Eintracht's unbeaten Europa League-winning campaign that accounted for the likes of Barcelona, West Ham and Rangers. Despite starting Götze in Frankfurt's first two competitive fixtures of 2022/23 - a DFB Cup first-round victory over Magdeburg and Bundesliga Matchday 1 loss for Bayern - head coach Oliver Glasner rotateS his side in the Finnish capital. Daichi Kamada, who scored twice against Magdeburg comeS back into the starting line-up, but Randal Kolo Muani, impressed with a consolation goal from the bench in the 6-1 loss to Bayern, will have to wait his chance again. New signing Hrvoje Smolcic is among the subs after serving a domestic ban carried over from the Croatian top flight. Argentine striker Lucas Alario is another option if needed from the bench, but the club have confirmed that Filip Kostic will not be involved as he negotiates a move away.

A Real Madrid team spearheaded by Karim Benzema lost to Götze's Dortmund in the 2012/13 UEFA Champions League semi-finals. Almost 10 years on, the 34-year-old - a 2018 World Cup winner with France - is still the focal point of attack for the most successful club team in Champions League history. He top scored with 15 goals as Real beat Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester City and Liverpool on their way to winning their 14th European Cup last season. Ex-Bayern head coach Carlo Ancelotti was the brains behind the success, ably assisted by former Bundesliga players David Alaba (Bayern), Dani Carvajal (Bayer Leverkusen) and Toni Kroos (Bayern and Leverkusen). The 2021/22 La Liga winners have since added former Dortmund and VfB Stuttgart centre-back Antonio Rüdiger to their ranks, but haven't always had the best of luck against German opposition, losing UEFA competition games to Bayern, Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen, Schalke, Werder Bremen, Cologne, Hamburg and Kaiserslautern. The Super Cup marks their first competitive fixture of the new season.

Watch: Frankfurt's goal-hungry Eagles: Rafael Borre and Lucas Alario

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Match stats

• Frankfurt are only the third team to go unbeaten on their way to winning the Europa League.
• Götze has three assists in eight meetings with Real.
• Kostic was the 2021/22 Europa League's top assister, best for crosses from open play and Player of the Tournament.
• Victory in the Europa League final means Frankfurt haven't lost in UEFA competition since a 2019/20 Europa League last-16 reverse to Basel.
• The Eagles have won six of their 10 games against La Liga clubs overall, losing only one - a 1960 European Cup final defeat to Madrid in their first meeting with Spanish opposition.
• Real's Alaba, Carvajal, Kroos and Rüdiger made 569 Bundesliga appearances between them.