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Even for a team as good as Manchester City, victories don’t always come easily. Wednesday (August 16)’s UEFA Super Cup final against Sevilla in Athens was one of those difficult tests.
Pep Guardiola’s side went into the game knowing that Sevilla would be hard nuts to crack and, in 90 minutes, the La Liga side lived up to that expectation.
There are not many teams that can make City look ordinary, but Sevilla managed to do that, especially in the first half, and nearly got away with it. When Youssef En-Nesyri opened the scoring after 25 minutes, it looked to be a tall order for the UEFA Champions League holders.
The Cityzens were struggling to settle at that point, and the goal rattled them. However, as they did so many times last season, Manchester City rallied their way back. Cole Palmer’s late equaliser gave them the chance to go on and win the game on penalties.
Manchester City win first Super Cup
Wednesday’s triumph was the first UEFA Super Cup title for Manchester City, and it’s a moment fans will cherish for the rest of their lives.
The importance of the game was telling from the way Guardiola and the entire bench watched on with bated breaths when the shootout was taking place.
Once Kyle Walker’s kick narrowly slipped through the hands of Sevilla goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, the shift in momentum was evident. That was even before Nemanja Gudelj blasted his shot against the crossbar to give the Cityzens a 5-4 win.
It has been a long time coming for Manchester City, who narrowly missed out on top European trophies in the past. However, now they’ve arrived and deservedly added their name to the exclusive list of elite clubs to have won the Champions League and Super Cup.
Cityzens building European legacy
An area of banter used against Manchester City fans was the fact that they didn’t have any European history. After winning the Champions League, though, it's now time to deepen that legacy.
By adding the UEFA Super Cup to their collection, the club is gradually establishing its footprint on the continent. They may still be behind Manchester United, Liverpool and even Chelsea in terms of European pedigree, but it's a good start.
“I’m proud. A lot. We knew it from moments earlier in the season and the quality of opponent,” Guardiola told Mancity.com after the game. “We were lucky because Eddy, like in the final moments of the Champions League final, saved us in the right moments.
“In general, the game was really good, though we played better in the last 30 minutes of the second half. One week ago, we lost to penalties (against Arsenal in the Community Shield); today, we won it.”
Three months ago, Manchester City had no European titles; now they have two, and it could be the beginning of a special European legacy.
