Falcao hat-trick leads Atletico to brilliant Super Cup win
Colombian striker Radamel Falcao scored a brilliant first-half hat-trick as Atletico Madrid crushed European champions Chelsea 4-1 with a glittering display of attacking soccer in the Super Cup final.
After hitting the bar in the fourth minute, he opened the scoring two minutes later when he chipped Chelsea keeper Petr Cech with the ball going in off the post.
His second 13 minutes later was from a superb curling shot and his third just before halftime completed another rapid Atletico breakaway.
It was his second hat-trick in five days following the one he scored when Europa League winners Atletico beat Athletic Bilbao 4-0 in La Liga on Monday.
Miranda made it 4-0 after 60 minutes to make sure of the victory before Gary Cahill scored Chelsea's consolation when he fired in from close range after Atletico failed to clear a corner.
Big spenders Mosta bag their first points
Sliema Wanderers 0 Mosta 2 Steve D’Amatos’s side illuminated the opening exchanges with a virtuoso display of pace and movement that left Sliema devoid of any meaningful possession in the opening minutes. In the 12th minute Daniel Bogdanovic drove infield from the right flank before sending in a cross, which invited Obinna Obiefule to dive in and poke the ball home. The Wanderers finally posed a threat when Mosta goalkeeper Justin Haber was forced to plunge bravely at the feet of Faccini in Sliema’s first serious moment of danger in the 18th minute. Scoring chances were rare in the opening period and D’Amato threatened to increase their lead when Bogdanovic’s chip was saved by the back-tracking Sliema goalkeeper on the half-hour mark. Mosta’s formation included five former Wanderers in their starting XI and three of those Sliema old boys were involved in the first noteworthy episode after the break in the 53rd minute. Ryan Grech exchanged the ball with Bogdanovic as the former Blackpool striker advanced on the right before passing to Mitev who evaded the Sliema rearguard but the Bulgarian’s chip was just off target. On 65 minutes, Sliema’s hopes of another comeback received a...
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