The 2017 UEFA Super Cup was the 42nd edition of the UEFA Super Cup, an annual football match organised by UEFA contested by the winners of the two main European club competitions, the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa League. The match featured Real Madrid, the winners of the 2016–17 UEFA Champions League, and Manchester United, the winners of the 2016–17 UEFA Europa League.
Background Real Madrid qualified for the Super Cup by defeating Juventus 4–1 in the 2017 UEFA Champions League Final, securing their second consecutive and 12th overall Champions League title. Manchester United earned their spot by beating Ajax 2–0 in the 2017 UEFA Europa League Final, claiming their first-ever Europa League title. This marked Real Madrid's sixth Super Cup appearance and Manchester United's fourth. It was the first time these two prominent European clubs met in the Super Cup.
Venue The match was played at the Philip II Arena in Skopje, Macedonia (now North Macedonia), on 8 August 2017. This marked the first time a UEFA club competition final was held in Macedonia. The stadium, then known as the Philip II National Arena, had a capacity of approximately 33,460 spectators.
Match Details The match kicked off at 20:45 CEST. Real Madrid dominated the early proceedings and opened the scoring in the 24th minute when Casemiro struck a left-footed volley into the net after a cross from Dani Carvajal. Real Madrid doubled their lead in the 52nd minute; Isco exchanged passes with Gareth Bale before slotting the ball past Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea. Manchester United responded in the 62nd minute when Romelu Lukaku scored on the rebound after a Nemanja Matić shot was saved by Keylor Navas. Despite late pressure from Manchester United, Real Madrid held on to win the match 2–1.
Officials The referee for the match was Gianluca Rocchi from Italy. He was assisted by Elenito Di Liberatore and Mauro Tonolini, with Clément Turpin from France serving as the fourth official. Massimiliano Irrati and Davide Massa were the additional assistant referees.
Teams and Tactics Real Madrid, managed by Zinedine Zidane, played a 4-3-3 formation, featuring their strong midfield trio of Casemiro, Toni Kroos, and Luka Modrić, with Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema, and Isco leading the attack (Cristiano Ronaldo entered as a substitute late in the second half). José Mourinho's Manchester United adopted a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Romelu Lukaku as the lone striker supported by Jesse Lingard, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, and Paul Pogba.
Post-match Real Madrid secured their fourth UEFA Super Cup title, equalling AC Milan and Barcelona's record at the time. Isco was named the official Man of the Match. The victory marked another significant trophy for Real Madrid under Zinedine Zidane, while Manchester United's performance was seen as a learning experience against one of Europe's top clubs.