2023 UEFA Super Cup: Last season’s UEFA Champions League winner Manchester City came back from 1-0 down in normal time to beat fellow UEFA Europa League champion Sevilla 5-4 on penalties to lift their very first title in history. The defending English Premier League winners were without their newly-promoted captain Kevin De Bruyne for this finale and were down early in the first 25 minutes. Nevertheless, the defiant team in sky blue jerseys fought back in the following half to force the game to extra time, before edging out their opponents 5-4 in 12 yards. Manchester City’s 21-year-old attacking midfielder Cole Palmer was named the Man of the Match in this UEFA Super Cup.
Palmer Cancelled Out En-Nesyri’s Opening Goal
The De-Bruyne-less Manchester City came into the 2023 UEFA Super Cup as the clear favourites, following their opening-day 3-0 win against Burnley in the Premier League while 10-man Sevilla had lost their first Spanish La Liga game to Valencia at home last weekend. In terms of line-ups, Pep Guardiola’s side had four changes in their starting line-up, with new signing from Croatia Joško Gvardiol making his first competitive start for Manchester City, whereas Sevilla only had two replacements in Óliver Torres and Joan Jordán to start in the 2023 UEFA Super Cup.
Just 25 minutes after the game started, out-going Sevilla goalkeeper Bono, who is set to join Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal after this UEFA Super Cup, launched a long ball into the middle park of the field, before several passes from the team in red found Marcos Acuña on the left flank. The Argentine left-back then delivered a tempting cross into the box, which was met by the 1.88m tall Youssef En-Nesyri with a thumping header into the back of the net. The goal was the Moroccan’s second in as many matches played this season.
The Sevilla goal may have left Manchester City stranded but managerial maestro Guardiola was not going to make it easy for their opponent. The Spanish manager’s team regrouped themselves in the second half and found the equaliser in the 63rd minute, courtesy of wonderkid Palmer’s effort. A patient buildup saw midfielder Rodri firing a long ball into the penalty box, before Palmer pulled one back for Manchester City in the UEFA Super Cup with a header of his own. Since no team was able to get another goal in extra time, the 21-year-old’s strike meant the UEFA Super Cup was to be decided on penalties for the fourth time in history.
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Fourth Penalty Shootout in UEFA Super Cup History
Prior to the 2023 UEFA Super Cup, only three matches were decided on penalties in the history of the competition, with the previous shootout also happened between a Premier League club and a La Liga side (Chelsea beat Villarreal 6-5 on penalties in 2021).
Scoring sensation Erling Haaland was the first to convert his penalty kick in the shoutout. His strike kickstarted a successful conversion spree of eight following spot kicks. When Manchester City were up 5-4 after nine penalties in the shootout, 31-year-old Serbian centre-back Nemanja Gudelj sent the opposing goalkeeper Ederson to the wrong way but had his strike hit on the crossbar and bounced off, meaning the team in blue finally won their first UEFA Super Cup title in history. The victory also gave Manchester City their fourth team honour in the calendar year of 2023.
Guardiola: “Pleased to Have Already One Title (UEFA Super Cup) in This Season.”
52-year-old Guardiola was a happy man during the post-match conference of the 2023 UEFA Super Cup, especially after his Manchester City side was beaten by Arsenal 4-1 on penalties in the FA Community Shield earlier this month. He said: “Of course we are not in the best, best moment, I would say. But knowing a little bit the players and the mentality of the backroom staff, I had a feeling that we will try. We are really pleased to have already one title in this season. Really pleased for the club – this title we didn’t have and now we have it.”
The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich head coach now looks forward to winning the FIFA Club World Cup with Manchester City in December to complete the full circle of competitive trophies for an European football club. “We miss just one to finish all circle and be able for this club to win all the titles we can have. It’s happening in December, when we go to Saudi Arabia to play there, the (Club) World Cup” was his response.
“I couldn’t imagine a better start!” 💬
Josko Gvardiol shares his thoughts on our first #UEFASuperCup victory here in Athens 👇 pic.twitter.com/4D24BOObcm
— Manchester City (@ManCity) August 16, 2023
Bono Set to Join Al-Hilal on a Three-Year Deal
Shot stopper from the losing finalist of the UEFA Super Cup and Morocco national football team, Bono, is set to leave Sevilla and join Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal. After losing to Manchester City on penalties, the 32-year-old completed a move to the oil-rich Saudi region on a €21-million package, and will be playing alongside former European club football stars such as Neymar, Kalidou Koulibaly, Rúben Neves, Sergej Milinković-Savić, Malcom, etc. at Al-Hilal. Apart from these stars, the losing team in the Arab Club Champions Cup is also looking forward to add 28-year-old Serbian striker Aleksandar Mitrović to their squad later this month.
