Cristiano Ronaldo scored and was then sent off as Real Madrid beat Barcelona 3-1 in the Spanish Super Cup first leg.

Gerard Pique slid Marcelo’s cross into his own net before Lionel Messi levelled from a penalty.

Ronaldo, who was a substitute, restored Real’s lead when he ran from halfway before smashing an effort home.

Ronaldo felt he should have had a penalty when he went down under pressure from Samuel Umtiti, and appeared to shove the referee in the back after he was shown the red card.

Real host Barca in Wednesday’s second leg at 22:00 BST.

• Relive the action from the Nou Camp

Ronaldo’s eventful cameo

Even for a player who has been so prominent in El Clasico contests, the 24 minutes Ronaldo spent on the pitch were unusually eventful.

Having started on the bench, as he did for the Uefa Super Cup win over Manchester United, he was introduced in the 58th minute with his side leading 1-0.

He watched on as Messi levelled the scores before scoring a typically brilliant goal himself, cutting inside and curling home an unstoppable effort from the edge of the box.

To celebrate, he removed his shirt and flexed his muscles, earning himself a booking.

Two minutes later, he tumbled in the box after going shoulder to shoulder with Umtiti and was adjudged to have dived by the referee, who duly gave the Portuguese a second yellow, followed by a red card.

Barca had 10 minutes to find another equaliser, but instead it was the 10 men of Real who struck again as Asensio added to his growing reputation with a superb strike into the top corner from 25 yards.

The 21-year-old has now scored on his La Liga, Copa del Rey, Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and Spanish Super Cup debut for Real.

Barca struggle without Neymar

Having broken up their famed ‘MSN’ strike-force through the summer-sale of Neymar to Paris St-Germain for £200m, Barcelona started Gerard Deulofeu in attack alongside Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez.

As his predecessor on the left wing made a goal-scoring start to life in France, former Everton player Deulofeu struggled to make a compelling case to be the Brazilian’s long-term replacement in Spain.

He had one glorious chance to make an impression but wasted it, firing a shot across goal and wide from inside the box. He was replaced by Denis Suarez shortly after.

If Barca have their way, he will soon find himself down the pecking order, possibly behind Philippe Coutinho.

The need for attacking reinforcements at the Nou Camp is obvious. Messi and Suarez were lively and combined for the penalty – the Uruguayan winning it, when he tumbled easily under a challenge from Real keeper Keylor Navas, with the Argentine converting.

But elsewhere it is a mix of lesser talent and young potential not yet ready to play such a major role for a side with lofty ambition at home and abroad.

From: Internet