(CNN)Toni Kroos claimed the plaudits after Real Madrid’s 3-1 win over Valencia in the Spanish Sup Cup after scoring one of the most outrageous goals of the season.
The rare ‘Olimpico’ goal (the term given to goals scored directly from a corner) came in the th minute of the semifinal on Wednesday and kicked off a dominant performance from Zinedine Zidane’s side.
After trotting over to take the corner, Kroos spotted goalkeeper Jaume Domenech out of position as he looked to organize his defenders.
This allowed the quick-thinking German to whip in a superb finish which the scrambling keeper could only punch into the roof of the net.
It was the first goal of its kind Madrid has scored since 1997 when Davor Suker curled one in against Merida.
Real Madrid continued to build on the – year-old’s opportunistic finish, with Isco doubling its lead before Luke Modric made it 3-0.
Valencia scored a late consolation goal with Daniel Parejo sweeping home a penalty awarded with the assistance of VAR.
Real Madrid will now play either Barcelona or Atletico Madrid in the final of the competition on Sunday.
************ There is a new format for this season’s Spanish Super Cup with the top two clubs from La Liga and the two finalists from the Copa del Rey competing in a four-team competition in Saudi Arabia.
******’s semifinal was played in front of pockets of empty seats at the King Abdullah Sport City Stadium in Jeddah and the decision to relocate the tournament has drawn criticism from human rights groups.
“For decades, in Saudi Arabia, women have been subjected to repressive laws that have imposed restrictions on their rights to travel independently, work or study, which limits various aspects of their lives . Faced with this situation, many activists have raised their voices, “said Amnesty International.
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