Kyle Walker admitted Manchester City ‘rode their luck’ to win the UEFA Super Cup for the first time after beating Sevilla 5-4 on penalties.
Pep Guardiola’s side claimed a fourth trophy of the calendar year after beating the Europa League holders in a shootout in Athens, with Nemanja Gudelj crashing the decisive spot-kick against the crossbar for Sevilla.
The Spaniards had taken the lead through Youssef En-Nesyri in the first half and carved out several good opportunities to double their advantage, before Cole Palmer headed home an equaliser for City.
Palmer’s goal saw the 21-year-old become just the second player to score in the Community Shield and UEFA Super Cup in the same year, after Michael Owen for Liverpool in 2001.
The forward’s goal forced a shootout and City converted all five of their spot-kicks to add another piece of silverware to their growing collection.
“Good teams capitalise on people’s mistakes. We rode our luck and we got there. There were tough conditions, everyone sweating, you can see it’s really hot,” Walker, who scored City’s fifth spot-kick, told TNT Sports.
“We’ve come away with this cup. To win this and put it in trophy cabinet at City is a good feeling.
“It was always going to be a tough game. The lads put in a good performance. We have to be more clinical but we got the job done.
“If anyone played with me they know I don’t like taking penalties because I don’t like letting people down if I miss. Pep put me in at five. [I wanted to] show leadership. Luckily it went in and was the winning one.”
The Citizens become the sixth English club to win the Super Cup, after Aston Villa, Manchester United, Nottingham Forest, Liverpool and Chelsea.
