Manchester City won the UEFA Super Cup for the first time in their history, defeating Sevilla 5-4 on penalties after a 1-1 draw on Wednesday.
The first nine shootout penalties were all converted, but City won when Nemanja Gudelj hit his penalty against the crossbar. Youssef En-Nesyri gave Europa League winners Sevilla the lead in the 25th minute with a spectacular header, but City equalized in the 63rd minute with a header from 21-year-old Cole Palmer.
In extra time, Nathan Ake could have won it for City, the Champions League winners the previous season, but Yassine Bounou saved his stooping header from five yards. Despite dominating the ball, City was unable to break down the Spanish defense.
Manchester City fell 4-1 on penalties to Arsenal in England’s Community Shield 10 days ago after a 1-1 deadlock in regular time.
Without Kevin, how will City cope?
In his pre-match press conference, a dejected Pep Guardiola said that Kevin De Bruyne will be out indefinitely, maybe until 2024.
It’s a setback for City, especially after offloading additional sources of assists and goals in Ilkay Gundogan and Riyad Mahrez over the summer. They’ve bolstered elsewhere, with strong performances from Mateo Kovacic and debutant Josko Gvadriol, but Guardiola is concerned about the lack of their most creative force behind the forward line.