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There’s a reason why Sevilla have won the UEFA Europa League more times than any other club: they have character and can adapt to the strengths of their opponents.
In last season’s Europa League final, Jose Luis Mendilibar’s side ditched their usual conservative style and went all out against Jose Mourinho’s AS Roma after conceding first.
That onslaught eventually led them to the equaliser, and they would go on to win a record seventh Europa League title, beating Roma on penalties.
As Sevilla prepare to face Manchester City in the UEFA Super Cup on Wednesday (August 16), they will need to produce another imperious performance to stand any chance.
However, that's not new to the Spanish club, who seem to thrive on adversity and are usually at their best when the odds are stacked against them.
A tricky game for Sevilla despite Manchester City being favourites
Sevilla will not be up against a pragmatic Roma side who were content with sitting back after taking the lead. Rather, they lock horns against a winning machine that ravaged the whole of Europe last season.
It makes for a tricky game, but Manchester City are the overwhelming favourites. Pep Guardiola’s side ate desperate to win their first Super Cup, and they will go all out for the win.
The other thing that goes against the La Liga side is that Sevilla have not started the season well, losing 2-1 at home to Valencia in their opener at the weekend.
However, if there’s one thing that cannot be taken away from Mendiliba’s side, it's their fighting spirit. The Spanish side are almost always underdogs in European games, but they never go down without a fight, and they will certainly give City a run for their money.
Sevilla will look to complicate life for Manchester City
Moreover, there's less pressure on Sevilla, who have already been written off by many, but they could be party-poopers to Manchester City, as they’ve done to many teams in the past.
The Spanish side don't necessarily boast a great record in the Super Cup, having last won the competition in 2006 when they thrashed Barcelona 3-0. However, they’ve run their opponents close in every final they’ve played in the competition since.
In 2015, Sevilla lost 5-4 to Barcelona in the Super Cup after extra time and lost 2-1 to Real Madrid the following year, again after extra time.
Four years later, against Bayern Munich, in 2020, the Spanish side lost 2-1 in the Super Cup in a game that also went to extra time. The aforementioned results portray a club that's not easily beaten, and that'swhat Manchester City will be up against.
"I think we are ready to beat them, so I'm convinced that we are going to be audacious. That doesn't mean that we're going to win, of course - but we are going to be brave,” said Sevilla boss Mendilibar, as quoted by the BBC.
"We’re going to try to play our football and, in that respect, I think we're going to try to complicate their lives. From then on, we'll see what happens."
He continued:
"I'm sure there's statistics about Arsenal and City and Guardiola that were in favour of City, but they lost against Arsenal not too long ago (in the Community Shield)."
Indeed, Sevilla have what it takes to complicate things for Manchester City. They're a club that upset Manchester United and Juventus on their way to winning the Europa League last season, and they could do the same to Guardiola’s side.
