Manchester City has won the UEFA Super Cup for the first time in the club's history, defeating Sevilla. Wednesday evening's match in Greece wasn't particularly thrilling, but the tension was revived during the decisive penalty shootout. Nemanja Gudelj eventually became the scapegoat with a missed penalty kick.
Embed from Getty Images
It was a big surprise when Youssef En-Nesyri headed home in the 25th minute between Nathan Aké and new signing Josko Gvardiol. The Sevilla striker timed his run and jump perfectly, leaving the two Man City defenders unable to intervene. Aké had the best chance before that, but in the seventh minute, he was thwarted by Sevilla's goalkeeper Yassine Bounou.
While Man City had much of the possession, they struggled to put Erling Haaland in a threatening position. In Greece, Sevilla managed to neutralize the Norwegian striker for the most part, so En-Nesyri's single goal seemed sufficient for the victory.
Shortly after halftime, the Moroccan had an excellent opportunity for a 0-2 lead. However, following a good move by Lucas Ocampos (former Ajax player), he managed to shoot the ball directly at Man City's goalkeeper Ederson from close range. The missed chance ultimately hurt Sevilla even more as Man City leveled the score to 1-1 fifteen minutes later. Cole Palmer escaped the attention of the Sevilla defense and skillfully headed the ball into the net after a pass from Rodri. Aké almost prevented a penalty shootout near the end of the match, but his header was tipped over the bar by Bounou just before time.
In the UEFA Super Cup, there is no extra time, so Man City and Sevilla immediately proceeded to a penalty shootout. Haaland successfully converted the first penalty, which was also his first shot on target. Ocampos equalized in Piraeus, after which the following seven penalties were all on target. Nemanja Gudelj stepped up to initiate sudden death, but the former player of NAC Breda, AZ, and Ajax hit the crossbar (see video below). As a result, following their treble win last season, Man City secured the next trophy in the club's history.
Updated: 11:15, 17 Aug 2023
