UEFA Champions League holders Manchester City took on last season’s UEFA Europa League winners Sevilla in the UEFA Super Cup at the Stadio Georgios Karaiskaki On Wednesday night (August 16). After Cole Palmer canceled out Youssef En-Nesyri’s 25th-minute opener in the 63rd minute, no goals arrived from open play. With the two teams stalled at 1-1 at the end of extra time, the game ultimately boiled down to penalties.
The Cityzens put away all of their designated spot-kicks. Sevilla, after converting their first four penalties, missed the fifth one, with Nemanja Gudelj’s decisive kick rattling against the bar. The 5-4 win on the night allowed Manchester City to lift their first-ever UEFA Super Cup. If they manage to win the FIFA Club World Cup later down the campaign, they would have accumulated five of the six trophies on offer in a calendar year, with the FA Community Shield defeat to Arsenal keeping them from completing their collection.
Kevin De Bruyne’s Absence Felt In Manchester City Win
Manchester City ultimately got the result they wanted, but they were not as dominant as many expected, especially in the latter stages. They bossed possession and looked as organized as ever, but they lacked creativity in the final third. Over the course of the game, they created just three big chances, the same as Sevilla. Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, and Cole Palmer did all they could to bring Erling Haaland into play, but the striker simply did not get the service he needed to trouble the Andalusian defense.
On Wednesday, Manchester City missed the flamboyance that makes them arguably the most ruthless team in Europe. They missed the creativity of their maestro, Kevin De Bruyne. The Belgian picked up a hamstring injury in Friday’s (August 12) emphatic 4-0 victory at Burnley, and as per coach Pep Guardiola, he could be out for a few months. The European champions have more than enough players to fill in for the 32-year-old, but they are not nearly as effective.
Pep Guardiola: “Kevin de Bruyne’s injury is serious one. He will be out for a few months”. 🚨🔵 #MCFC
“We have to decide in the next days on surgery but for sure we lose Kevin for some time”. pic.twitter.com/F2sAcD5ERz
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 15, 2023
De Bruyne has a special chemistry with Haaland
Over the course of the 2022-23 campaign, Manchester City stars De Bruyne and Haaland enthralled fans with their sublime chemistry and link-up play. The two seemingly had a telepathic connection, always knowing where the other was. They played 45 matches together last season, combining for an impressive 15 goals. Out of 15, De Bruyne set up Haaland 13 times, while the Norwegian returned the favor twice. Overall, De Bruyne provided 31 assists in 49 matches last season, winning the Premier League Playmaker Award with 18 assists.
With De Bruyne set to miss months of football with his hamstring problem, Haaland could be in for a slightly tougher campaign. The 22-year-old is still likely to score an astonishing number of goals, but he could have to work a little harder to get to the deliveries this time around.
Having bounced back from the FA Community Shield setback with two consecutive wins, Manchester City will return to Premier League action with a clash against Newcastle United on Saturday (August 19).
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