Manchester City claimed victory in the UEFA Super Cup Final on Wednesday, defeating Sevilla in a penalty shootout. The match, held at the Georgios Karaiskakis stadium in Piraeus port, near Athens, Greece, ended in a 1-1 draw in regular time before City secured a 5-4 win in the shootout. This win marks Manchester City’s first appearance and victory in the Super Cup, adding to their impressive collection of trophies under manager Pep Guardiola.
City’s Nemanja Gudelj narrowly missed his penalty attempt, hitting the crossbar and sealing the win for City. It was their 15th trophy during Guardiola’s reign since he took charge of the club in 2016. This victory also made up for their loss to Arsenal in the Community Shield just 10 days earlier.
Midfielder Jack Grealish spoke about the team’s determination to win the trophy, saying, “The manager made it so clear to us before the game how much he wants to win this trophy. It’s a brilliant feeling to win it for the first time.”
Sevilla took the lead in the 25th minute with a towering header from Youssef En-Nesyri. However, City responded in the second half with a header from winger Cole Palmer in the 63rd minute. City dominated the second half of the match, with star striker Erling Haaland remaining on the field despite an upcoming Premier League match against Newcastle.
With this victory, Guardiola became the second manager to win the Super Cup four times, following Carlo Ancelotti. He is also the first manager to win the trophy with three different teams, having previously won with Bayern Munich in 2013 and Barcelona in 2009 and 2011.
Kyle Walker lifted the cup amid celebrations from his City teammates, who chanted “Champions” on the field. This win comes after City secured a historic treble last season, winning the Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League.
Although this victory is significant for City, the match also highlighted their need for more creativity and goal threat following the departure of Ilkay Gundogan and Riyad Mahrez in the offseason and an injury to Kevin De Bruyne that could keep him sidelined for up to four months. However, Cole Palmer’s performance in the match suggests that he could be the solution to this problem, with the 21-year-old academy product impressing as City’s most dangerous player.
Sevilla, who won the Europa League last season, had limited success in the Super Cup, winning only once in their seven appearances. Despite the loss, forward Erik Lamela expressed pride in his team’s efforts against a strong opponent.
