Real Madrid youth team win the U20 Intercontinental Cup after chaotic final
Real Madrid’s Under-19s have added another international trophy to their collection after beating Chilean side Santiago Wanderers 3-1 in the Under-20 Intercontinental Cup final at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Alvaro Lopez’s team entered the final as reigning Youth Champions League winners after defeating Club Brugge in May, while Santiago Wanderers had earned their place by winning the Libertadores at the same age level.
Several players who have already been involved around Jose Mourinho’s first-team squad this season featured for Madrid, including Jorge Cestero and Alexis Ciria.
Notably, Mourinho and club president Florentino Perez were also present at the Bernabeu to watch the final.
Santiago Wanderers reduced to ten men
The match became an increasingly physical contest, with stoppages and clashes between the two teams interrupting the flow.
The turning point arrived in the 25th minute when Santiago Wanderers defender Alexander Dubo was shown a straight red card following a studs-up challenge on Daniel Yanez.
The dismissal forced the Chilean side into an early tactical adjustment and their first substitution of the afternoon.
Despite being a player down, Wanderers continued to threaten and managed two further attempts on goal before half-time.
Real Madrid, meanwhile, went into the interval with a narrow 1-0 advantage, leaving the contest far from settled.
Real Madrid finish the job at the Bernabeu
Santiago Wanderers immediately found a way back after the restart.
A poor clearance from Mario Rivas inside his own area presented Christian Silva with an opportunity, and the Chilean forward recovered possession before beating Javi Navarro to make it 1-1.
The equaliser gave Wanderers renewed belief, but the numerical disadvantage eventually became increasingly difficult to overcome.
The closing stages descended into further controversy as the Chilean side lost more players. Valenzuela was dismissed after receiving a second yellow card, while Carvacho was shown a straight red for protesting the decision.
That left Santiago Wanderers with only eight players on the pitch, and Real Madrid took advantage. The Spanish side struck twice late on to turn the 1-1 scoreline into a 3-1 victory.
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