Manchester City – Sevilla – Adam Davy/Pa Wire/Dpa
Mendilibar’s men signed a great final against Manchester City, but they forgave until they fell on penalties
MADRID, 16 (EUROPA PRESS)
Sevilla was left with honey on their lips this Wednesday when they fell in the final of the European Super Cup against Manchester City in a penalty shootout (1-1, 5-4), with the ball sent by Nemanja Gudelj to the crossbar on the fifth pitch.
The title at stake at the Georgios Karaiskakis in Athens came to penalties after an intense 1-1, with an exchange of dominance and the superior Spanish team even but unable to decide. Sevilla took the lead with a spectacular header from Youssef En-Nesyri in the 25th minute, but the Moroccan forgave very good chances in a start to the second half entirely for Sevilla.
Cole Palmer equalized on 63′ and City had the last few arrivals before the final, without extra time, came down to shoot-out. They were all perfect hits until 4-4. Then, Bono, who sounds like a future Al-Hilal goalkeeper, touched Walker’s without stopping and, in the next one, Gudelj failed allowing City to win the European Super Cup for the first time in its history.
In addition to En-Nesyri’s great goal, Sevilla left a good first half in attitude and sacrifice, with a strong start to prevent or at least delay City’s dominance. The Spanish box pressed on the pressure and achieved the first approaches, although the great initial chance was scored by the English box.
Once the rival’s rise in lines was overcome, the ‘Champions’ champion generated his football, without excessive rhythm, and around minute 10, Aké finished off from point-blank range but Bono repelled as best he could. However, Guardiola’s men found very little Haaland and Foden, with the young Palmer who seemed to try the most to overflow or uncheck.
Those from Manchester, without the brains Kevin De Bruyne or Bernardo Silva, were thick against a Sevilla with clear ideas, as was also demonstrated in the goal. From a clearance by Bono, Mendilibar’s team looked for Acuña’s band and the Argentine’s cross was made good by an En-Nesyri who flew to finish off even chopped to the post.
Neither Aké nor a Gvardiol that Guardiola placed on the left wing could prevent the Moroccan’s great goal on 25′. Lamela had another one for those from Nervión before the English team regained control of the ball. Sevilla did not care, already with the rent and a good static defense that City did not know how to hit.
SEVILLA FORGIVENESS AND THE PENALTIES DECIDE
Arriving at the break, based on pushing the rival, the light blues were around the goal, without a clear shot, with Grealish’s balls. However, at the beginning of the second half and until minute 63, when Palmer’s equalizer arrived, the game belonged to Sevilla. Guardiola’s men had a very poor attack, despite the Catalan coach’s attempts to rebuild his game in the center.
Without even finishing the play, the English team fell into the net of those from Mendilibar, who set up carat counters. However, the seven-time Europa League champion forgave in good arrivals, for a last pass or the definition against Ederson. En-Nesyri missed the clearest, and another one-on-one with the score at 1-1, a tie almost out of nowhere: Rodri’s cross and Palmer’s header.
The youth squad player was the best of his own, with another good job from the Andalusians making Haaland go unnoticed. Sevilla had their reaction 10 minutes from the end, with a succession of crosses that did not find a finisher with penalties already looming. In the shootout, there were no failures, nor a miracle from an expert Bono, until a crossbar from Gudelj that lengthened Sevilla’s jinx in a Super Cup that they won in 2006 and lost in the six other finals they played.
DATASHEET.
–RESULT: MANCHESTER CITY, 1 – SEVILLA, 1. (0-1, at halftime).
–LINEUPS:
MANCHESTER CITY: Ederson; Walker, Akanji, Ake, Guardiol; Rodri, Kovacic, Foden, Palmer (Julian Alvarez, min.85), Grealish and Haaland.
SEVILLE: Bond; Navas (Montiel, min.84), Badé, Gudelj, Acuña; Jordan, Rakitic, Oliver (Juanlu, min.74); Lamela (Suso, min.93), Ocampos and En-Nesyri (Mir, min.93).
–GOALS:
0 – 1, min.25, En-Nesyri.
1 – 1, min.63, Palmer.
— SIGNS OF DE PENALTIES.
1 – 0, Haaland.
1 – 1, Ocampos.
2 – 1, Julian Alvarez.
2 – 2, Rafa Mir.
3 – 2, Kovacic.
3 – 3, Rakitic.
4 – 3, Grealish.
4 – 4, Montiel.
5 – 4, Walker.
5 – 4, Gudelj fails.
–REFEREE: François Letexier (FRA). He admonished Badé (min.33), Lamela (min.62) and Juanlu (min.90) in Sevilla.
–ESTADIO: Georgios Karaiskakis.