Athens opened the international season with a final. Super Cup this presented a clash of styles. Two football schools with opposing philosophies were measured. On the one hand, hedonists Manchester City, Prioritizing the enjoyment of possession and fun play to achieve the lofty goal of victory. On the other hand, patient sevillistas, does not diminish in effort and is intense to the ultimate discouragement. The party did as expected. Guardiola’s men offered with the ball at their feet, and Mendilibar’s men pressed for punishment, seeking a British fault. with a final Seville With many headlines such as Bono, Acuña and even En-Nesyri that are showcased and can play their last game…
The Hammer of En-Nesyri
While Gudelj straightened the defensive axis, those from Nervión prioritized closing the corridors ending in Haaland and making their few arrivals profitable. In one of them, they caught City off guard at the 25th minute and Acuña had time to make a tense cross into the basket, where En-Nesyri took advantage of Akel and Gvardiol’s cold alertness to rise majestically and send the ball into the net. Great target in an aristocratic setting.
Sevilla had some solid fun interrupting British attacks and stepping out when opportunity permitted. Rakitic and Jordán prevailed over Rodri and Kovacic in midfield where leaders City missed Gundogan, De Bruyne or Bernardo. Also, Akanji isn’t the defender Stones, who turned into a midfielder where Pep had the advantage at the ball. Sevilla’s intensity prevails over patience Mancunian, Sevilla could not unravel the cobweb. Not a single clear chance eliminated his opponent in the first 45 minutes. Only the defensive solvency of Nervión players who find the end of the first half long. Mendilibar’s men took the lead at halftime after the vicious siege of Guardiola’s men and the clever rule of the Basque.
After his return from the break, there was no significant change except for some tactical statements from Guardiola that did not come in return. Akanji returned to the defensive axis and Gvardiol gained weight in the middle until the ball was at his feet. Sevilla managed to punish Ocampos in the 49th minute with a manual counterattack against Ederson that only En-Nesyri wasted. One of the painful opportunities at the end of the game. Mendilibar’s men sparked more early in the season and when they got the ball back they caught the British in a bad light, posing a danger to them. Those from Nervión digested the restart better, played more and went higher. The best moments of Sevillistas before the last predicted siege of City demanded the second goal. Oliver Torres looked behind Rodri and found the corridors, always behind the English side, with the gaps of Lamela and Ocampos.
draws the palm
In the 60th minute, centimeters were missing for En-Nesyri to clinch the second. City players wanted a pinball without the mobility or dynamism that Guardiola wanted from the group. Every recovery was a blow. He remained right because who forgives… And then the inexorable law of football was fulfilled. Crossing the far post, in the middle of Rodri, Palmer won Acuña’s back and headed for goal. The young squad player, who scored a goal in the Charity Cup final a few days ago, repeated another final. Sevilla’s house of cards collapsed, but seconds later, Ocampos left En-Nesyri against Ederson and the Brazilian won again one-on-one. The Moroccan player conceded two big goals and between two sets, City plunged his dagger into Sevilla’s heart.
The goal revolutionized City, which gained dynamism with more Grealish and Palmer appearing on the flanks. Bono took a second shot as he went into the net and Mendilibar oxygenated his midfield by knocking out Juanlu instead of Ólives Torres. The match seemed too long for a Seville who had held on to their fortitude to resist the British siege. Those who came to the city with the Bills equipped by his team trickled down. There were ten minutes remaining and many were already thinking about penalties because it was decided to remove overtime in this new format this year. Sevilla was knocked down in a game where Ocampos and En-Nesyri brushed the shot, but it didn’t. Never giving up, Sevilla knew how to suffer. The city that persists, never gives up. Penalties.
And fate wanted Bono to be the protagonist, in agony from eleven meters, possibly playing his last game against Sevilla, as he will become a Saudi Al-Hilal player in the next few hours. But City didn’t miss a penalty even though the Sevilla goalkeeper brushed off Walker’s last shot and Gudelj’s last shot hit the crossbar. City defeated Sevilla. In this case, luck favored the hedonists over the stoics. Glory to the first and honor to the second.