AfriqueCAN:
This time, Manuel Akanji made no mistake from the penalty spot.
After a 1-1 draw, Manchester City beat Manchester United 7-6 in a penalty shootout to win the Community Shield at Wembley Stadium on Saturday, with Akanji scoring the clinching penalty.
The Switzerland defender had different emotions after his last shootout — at the European Championship last month when he was the only player to not convert a penalty kick in a loss to England in the quarterfinals. On that occasion, Akanji took Switzerland’s first attempt.
“I let the others shoot first,” Akanji said, “because obviously when you miss a penalty, you don’t go into the next one with that much confidence.”
City ended a run of three straight losses in the traditional curtain-raiser to the English soccer season, between the winners of last season’s Premier League (City) and FA Cup (United). Pep Guardiola’s team had been beaten by Leicester, Liverpool and Arsenal over the past three years.
And it goes some way to avenging the loss to United in the FA Cup final 77 days ago, when City were beaten 2-1 to miss out on another league-and-cup double.
It looked like United would be claiming another Wembley win over their neighbor when second-half substitute Alejandro Garnacho cut inside and drove a low shot inside the near post in the 82nd minute.
City equalized in the 89th when Bernardo Silva, also a substitute, headed in from Oscar Bobb’s cross.
The game went straight to penalties — there is no extra time in the Community Shield — and Silva saw his shot saved by Andre Onana off City’s first attempt.
Jadon Sancho failed off United’s fourth kick as Ederson tipped the shot onto the post. It was more penalty heartache for Sancho, who was one of three England players to miss in the shootout loss to Italy in the Euro 2020 final at Wembley.
United defender Jonny Evans, the team’s eighth penalty-taker, chipped his effort over the crossbar to give Akanji the chance to win it for City.
Against England in Dusseldorf, the center back placed his kick to his right and had it saved by Jordan Pickford, but this time he lifted it down the middle and under the bar.
While United fielded a close-to-full-strength team, City were still without a raft of key players following the Euro 2024 final between Spain and England. Rodri, Phil Foden, Kyle Walker and John Stones were all missing, while Kevin De Bruyne started on the bench and was a late substitute.
“We’re happy to start the season in the way we have and obviously there’s a lot to come,” said Ruben Dias, who was City’s captain for the match. “It’s another trophy and we’re always happy to collect trophies. We’ve just had a long season and we still don’t have a full squad back but it is very good for us to start this way.”
Guardiola has now won 18 trophies — including the Community Shield three times — since joining City in 2016.
