Manchester City win Super Cup after beating Sevilla on penalties

By Simon Peach, PA Chief Football Writer, Piraeus

Manchester City won their first silverware of the campaign as Pep Guardiola’s side survived a sloppy start to triumph on spot-kicks against Sevilla and lift the UEFA Super Cup.

Having lost the Community Shield to Arsenal on penalties 10 days ago, last season’s swashbuckling treble winners initially wilted in the Greek heat versus the Europa League holders.

Youssef En-Nesyri put Sevilla ahead and City rode their luck, only to draw level through Cole Palmer’s looping header as their maiden Super Cup appearance ended 1-1 after 90 minutes and went to a shoot-out.

The first nine penalty takers all converted before Nemanja Gudelj smashed his effort off the crossbar, seeing Guardiola’s Champions League winners triumph 5-4 on spot-kicks in Piraeus.

The Spaniard became the first manager to win the Super Cup with three different teams and equalled Carlo Ancelotti’s record of four competition victories as coach.

City are the sixth English side to lift the trophy but were made to sweat by Jose Luis Mendilibar’s Sevilla, who went ahead through En-Nesyri’s powerful first-half header.

The LaLiga outfit could easily have grabbed a second during a strong start to the second period, only for man of the match Palmer to equalise with a header.

Sevilla survived a late City onslaught but could not avoid a sixth straight Super Cup defeat as the match passed midnight in Greece and went to penalties at the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium.