Manchester City continues to reign in Europe. The Champions League champion took his first Super Cup by beating a combative and brave Sevilla on penalties (5-4), who was able to take the lead with a superb goal from En-Nesyri. Palmer tied (1-1), Bono avoided defeat and sent the final to penalties, and Gudelj failed at Russian roulette. Sevilla is left without its second European super crown. And Pep Guardiola adds the fifth to his account, the first with City: his 36th title as coach.
The favorite on this occasion had no discussion: a European champion City, currently considered the best team in the world, the one that plays the best football, led by a Pep Guardiola who is in his eighth season with the citizens.
A very favorite City despite the sensitive losses of Kevin de Bruyne (injury of several months, unspecified by City, suffered on the first day of the Premier last Friday), Bernardo Silva and Ruben Dias.
Sevilla, after their bad start to the League (loss at home against Valencia), and in full squad configuration without Monchi's clinical eye (he went to Aston Villa), clung to his chameleonic ability to grow in Europe, as it has shown with the seven editions of the Europa League that make it the absolute king of the second continental trophy.
Knowing the technical superiority of the sky-blues, José Luis Mendilibar bet his options on intensity and pressure to drown out and not let City play. "You have to be brave and daring doing our football, that way we are going to complicate them", the Sevilla coach had advanced.
However, despite squeezing Sevilla in the opening minutes, it was City that gradually shook off the Andalusian pressure and prevailed with possession and chances. Palmer's repertoire began with a long shot that Bono saved (m. 7), the Moroccan goalkeeper once again excelled with a save from Aké's point-blank header (m. 8), and again the goalkeeper had to intervene to take out the fists in a poisoned center (m. 11) and in a shot with a Grealish effect (m. 17). The harassment of City hounded Sevilla in their field.
When City pressed the most, Sevilla gave an unexpected blow and destroyed the bets. In an outing against the book, drawn with a pen, Ocampos served to the left towards Acuña, who put a measured cross in the center of the area. There he appeared suspended in the sky En-Nesyri, one of the best headers in Europe, who impetuously finished off Gvardiol and Aké, whom he dwarfed with his jump. A superb goal that put Sevilla ahead and with confidence (0-1).
Sevilla was growing, which five minutes later enjoyed a great opportunity to make it 0-2. Oliver Torres, in a position on the far right, gave way to Lamela, who hit a shot that went wide of his range (m.30) when he was in a better situation.
The City pressed and pressed, who could not find the way to pierce a Sevilla that was increasingly sheltered behind, solid, defending their advantage tooth and nail, and looking for the surprise counter. Reaching the break ahead was his first win.
After passing through the changing rooms, Sevilla had the best chance to finish off the final after 5 minutes. Following his script of "defend and run", he took out a very fast counter on the left with a gallop from Lucas Ocampos, catching City upended in the rival field. He moved to the center, where En-Nesyri spiked at Ederson's feet. He forgave the 0-2. And he had it again in two more arrivals that were traced.
What football has, when City seemed most touched, with fewer ideas to worry Bono, Rodri put a precise cross from the left that Palmer finished off with a header in a parable to the far post, winning the race against Acuña (m. 63).
Sevilla replied with another counter, one more, executed by Ocampos and En-Nesyri, which the Moroccan sent again against Ederson's body that he covered well in the one-on-one. It was the fourth one against one that he had and wasted.
Sevilla forgave and City came back to life recovering their best version of the game. Opening the bands, the English arrived more clearly and Palmer, after a caracoleo and screwball shot, forced Bono to show off to avoid the 2-1 (m. 69).
The minutes slipped away and City accelerated to the full, encircling Bono's goal. Haaland, very well watched between Gudelj and Bade, appeared for the first time to test a shot, Grealish tested it from afar (m. 81) and Guardiola gambled with Julián Álvarez as the last cartridge. Aké had it in 1990 with a head-to-cannon shot miraculously pulled off by Bono, who had become a Sevilla hero. Thanks to him the final was going to penalties.
In shots from eleven meters, Sevilla fell 5-4 when Gudelj missed the last shot, which hit the crossbar. City was champion of the Super Cup for the first time.
