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Manchester City added the UEFA Super Cup to the Treble they claimed last season with victory over Sevilla on penalties in Athens, Greece.
Pep Guardiola’s Champions League winners lost the Community Shield to Arsenal in a shootout, but saw their fortunes transformed when Sevilla’s Nemanja Gudelj hit the bar after nine successful penalties.
Man City had to come from behind in an entertaining encounter to force penalties after a towering header from Youssef En-Nesyri put the Europa League holders ahead on 25 minutes.
Sevilla goalkeeper Bono and his Man City counterpart Ederson both excelled with fine saves before man-of-the-match Cole Palmer rose at the far post in the 63rd minute to level with a looping header from Rodri’s cross.
It set up the tense finale that resulted in another piece of silverware being added to Guardiola’s vast collection.
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 UEFA 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 Man City onslaught but could not avoid a sixth straight Super Cup defeat as the match passed midnight and went to penalties at the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium.
Recent signing Josko Gvardiol made his full debut in Greece, where Kevin De Bruyne was missing having sustained a hamstring issue that means he might face surgery and up to four months out.
Kyle Walker instead wore the captain’s armband and Man City fans sung their injured star’s name in the opening minutes, with Yassine Bounou clawing away an awkward early Nathan Ake header.