Manchester City has lifted its first ever Super Cup trophy.
Manchester City drew 1-1 with Sevilla in the European Football Association (UEFA) Super Cup 2023 at the Yorgos Karaiskakis Stadium in Piraeus, Greece, at 4 a.m. ET on Sunday. They went on to win 5-4 on penalties to claim the title.
City entered the tournament as UEFA Champions League (UCL) winners from the 2022-23 season, while Sevilla were UEFA Europa League (UEL) champions. The captains of each team took the field with their respective trophies.
City lined up in a 3-2-4-1 formation. Elling Holland started up front, with Jack Grealish, Matteo Kovacic, Phil Foden, and Cole Palmer in the second line. Rodri and Manuel Akanji anchored the midfield, while Yoshko Gvardiol, Nathan Ake, and Kyle Walker formed the back three. Ederson wore the goalkeeping gloves.
Sevilla also lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation. Youssef Enneciri was up top, flanked by Erik Lamela, Oliver Torres, and Lucas Ocampos. Ivan Rakitic and Joan Jordaan formed the back three, with Marcos Acuña, Nemanja Gudel, Loic Bardet, and Jesus Navas in the defense. Yacine Bunu was in goal.
Before the game, a pre-match press conference was held. And then came the shocking news from City manager Pep Guardiola. “Der Bruyne has a serious injury. We have to decide if he needs surgery or not, and he won’t be back for months. It will be three or four months,” he said.
“We could have asked him not to play (against Burnley), but this injury can happen again later. I spoke to the doctor, the physiotherapist and De Bruyne before making the decision. He said he was fine. Der Bruyne’s injury is a blow and a big loss for us,” he added.
Guardiola added: “Der Bruyne has special qualities that (without him) we could lose a game or two. But to be out for a long time is really difficult. You have to look ahead, but at the same time, there are alternatives. Of course, his skills are irreplaceable and we have to fill them with other skills. We have other talented players who can step in and give us a chance. If there are injuries, there are opportunities for other players, and I’m sure they will take them.” 먹튀검증
Rodri, who represented the squad at the press conference, added: “Der Bruyne is one of the most important players in the club. We will miss him a lot and we will try to help him. Nobody wants injuries. I saw him a few days ago and it was positive. He is experienced and knows he needs to recover. That’s the most important part. We will miss him, but we have a complete squad to play (without him) for the next few months.”
There’s a good chance we won’t see him this year. Multiple outlets have predicted that he will not play in 2023. The Guardian reports that “City’s De Bruyne could miss the rest of the year through injury.