Manchester City defeated Sevilla 5-4 on penalties after the teams drew 1-1 during the regular time of the match held today, Wednesday, marking City’s first UEFA Super Cup title in history. All nine initial penalty kicks were scored, but Nemanja Gudelj hit the crossbar with his penalty, handing victory to City at the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium in Piraeus, Greece.
As expected, City dominated the match from the start with a long-range shot from Cole Palmer followed by a header from Nathan Aké, which was saved by Sevilla’s goalkeeper Yassine Bounou. However, against the run of play, the Spanish team took the lead in the 25th minute through Youssef En-Nesyri, who rose to meet a precise cross from Marcos Acuña with a powerful header that left Ederson with no chance to react.
Sevilla, the Europa League winners, had a fantastic opportunity to double their lead at the beginning of the second half when Lucas Ocampos broke down the left on a counter-attack to pass to En-Nesyri, but Ederson managed to save the Moroccan striker’s shot from close range this time. Coach José Luis Mendilibar’s team regretted that missed chance when City equalized roughly an hour into the game, with Palmer (21 years old) scoring a brilliant header that sailed over Bounou into the net after Rodri sent him a ball to the far post.
En-Nesyri had another chance shortly after City’s goal, but Ederson shone once again to thwart his attempt from a one-on-one situation. City consistently pressured from that point onward, as the impressive Palmer, named man of the match, forced Bounou into another brilliant save with a fantastic effort, showcasing the excellence of Pep Guardiola’s team.
Aké could have gifted the title to City, last season's Champions League winners, in injury time, but a header directly in front of goal deflected off course, and Bounou was ready to catch it. The situation persisted until the penalty shootout, which was decided after Gudelj hit the crossbar with his penalty, granting City the victory.
Ten days earlier, Manchester City had lost 4-1 to Arsenal in the Community Shield penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw in regular time.
