Manchester City continues to fill its trophy cabinet. Already European champion for the first time in June, the club stretched its golden summer by lifting the Super Cup on Wednesday in Athens against Sevilla FC, a tough opponent beaten only after penalties (1-1, 5 -4 tables).
In Piraeus, the Citizens amassed a new trophy following on from the hat-trick at the end of last season (Championship, FA Cup and Champions League), with the help of Nemanja Gudelj, an unfortunate shooter on the Spanish side. “Over the last ten or fifteen years this club has been so successful, they have won so many Premier Leagues, FA Cups and Leagues. We were waiting for this one, ”commented English winger Jack Grealish, who arrived in 2021, on TNT Sports.
Knee injury, Kevin De Bruyne absent
The partners of Kyle Walker, captain in the absence of Kevin De Bruyne with a knee injury, suffered against the offensive pikes of Sevilla, the Europa League expert who loves to defy predictions. But the English international Espoir Cole Palmer, at the height of his 21 years, pulled out all the stops to put his team back in the lead part (63rd), responding to another helmet strike from Moroccan striker Youssef En- Nesiri (25th).
The left-hander’s capital performance will put a smile on Guardiola’s face who, with the departure of Riyad Mahrez to Saudi Arabia, found a sizeable understudy on the right wing for Bernardo Silva, who was ill and absent on Wednesday. Already a scorer in early August during the Community Shield lost to Arsenal, Palmer shook his vis-à-vis with dribbles, strikes and crosses, and he completed his score by scoring with a header, straightening a cross from Rodri at the far post , the hero of the Istanbul final two months earlier.
A fourth Super Cup for Guardiola
Wednesday’s success allows Pep Guardiola to win the European Super Cup for the fourth time, after the 2009, 2011 (with FC Barcelona) and 2013 (with Bayern Munich) editions. Only the Italian Carlo Ancelotti, with two different clubs, has done the same. This eternal perfectionist, however, had a worried look during the first period, during which his defense was shaken, in particular by the untenable En-Nesyri.
The Sevillian striker multiplied the calls, blurred the tracks and he played central defenders Nathan Aké and Josko Gvardiol, rookie at 90 million euros in the summer, interfering between them to place a powerful header which he has the secret. The two rearguard friends had never played together in an official match before and it showed. Manchester City does not have much time to learn because on Saturday, it will challenge the ambitious Newcastle, author of a cannon start (5-1 against Aston Villa) in the league.