Summary
Sevilla’s players can’t believe it. Nor, to be fair, can Barcelona’s. What a sport this. Barcelona were 1-0 down. They were 4-1 up, Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez running riot. Yet they were pegged back to 4-4; extra-time. On came Pedro, the man who has asked to leave Barcelona, and, well, you just knew. Thanks for reading and emailing. Here’s the match report. Bye.
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BARCELONA WIN THE SUPER CUP! Barcelona 5-4 Sevilla!
Football? Bloody hell.
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ET 120min+1: What a miss from Rami! Sevilla pierce Barcelona open with a clever free-kick on the right. Barcelona don’t spot the pass down the inside right channel to Immobile, who turns and slams it across goal to Rami, who can’t keep his shot low enough! Perhaps it came at him too quickly, but still, it was open goal. The ball flies over the bar and Unai Emery can’t believe it.
ET 120min: Mathieu makes a magnificent tackle to deny the raiding Mariano on the right and Pedro wins a throw for Barcelona. Pedro might be on his way out but he still cares.
ET 119min: A brawl. Busquets, who has been booked, is trying to break up a row between Alves and Krohn-Dehli. Alves feels he was on the end of an elbow. Both men are booked.
ET 118min: It should be 5-5! Banega scoops a free-kick into the area and the unmarked Coke glances a free header wide! Where were the defenders?
GOAL! Barcelona 5-4 Sevilla (Pedro, ET 115min)
It’s not Messi with the goal, it’s Pedro and whoever it is who writes these scripts sometimes goes for some very obviously but nonetheless very brilliant storylines. Messi’s free-kick hit the wall and came back to him. He squirted a shot through the bodies and the ball skimmed across the floor and forced Beto to make a save low down to his right. He couldn’t hold it, though, and Pedro was the quickest to reach the loose ball and smash it high into the net from two yards out! The night began with the news that he has asked for a transfer and if we have just seen his last contribution for Barcelona, what a way to say goodbye.
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ET 113 min: Mariano trips Messi just outside the D. Uh oh.
ET 111 min: Messi crosses. Coke rather needlessly heads it behind for a corner, which turns out to be a waste of time.
ET 109 min: Rami stretches and clears a cross from Alves. Back it comes. Messi tries an overhead kick. He’s no Rivaldo.
ET 106 min: Off we go again. Will this be settled now or will we need penalties? Immobile briefly threatens as he bundles into the area but he doesn’t get his shot away quickly enough and Pique directs him away from goal.
Half-time in extra-time: Barcelona 4-4 Sevilla
Penalties are 15 minutes away.
ET 105+1 min: Immobile wafts a ball to the right side of the Barcelona area. Mariano cuts inside and shoots straight at Ter Stegen.
ET 103 min: A pass from Messi is deflected behind for another corner on the right. The game is very flat.
ET 100 min: Barcelona have pinned Sevilla back now, but they’re finding it hard to carve them open.
ET 97 min: Pique isn’t happy that no action has been taken against that Immobile challenge. “Six refs!” he barks at someone on the touchline. “Six refs and no one sees it!” Then he uses big boy language.
ET 96 min: Pique has a bloody nose after a clash with Immobile. It’s an image that rather sums Barcelona up at the moment. “Last season Xavi would come on to see the game out,” says Philip Podolsky. “Now it’s Sergio Roberto, whose salient quality seems to be inconspicuousness: seen him play thousands of minutes yet cannot recall a single action. Stoke-bound?”
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ET 94 min: Pedro’s first contribution is to pick up a booking for a foul on Krychowiack. Sign him up!
ET 93 min: Rakitic swings the corner in and Bartra heads over. Pedro is getting ready to come on. And here he is. He replaces Javier Mascherano.
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ET 92 min: Immobile is booked for cynically pulling back Mascherano. Barcelona win a corner on the right.
ET 91 min: Extra-time begins.
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Full-time: Barcelona 4-4 Sevilla
And so we’ll have extra-time. What a bewildering game of football. Barcelona were in command when they led 4-1 after 52 minutes but Sevilla have fought back brilliantly and this is now impossible to call. Sevilla could win this. Luis Enrique looks exasperated.
90 min+3: Messi’s free-kick hits the wall. Sevilla survive.
90 min+2: We’re into stoppage time. Sevilla have a free-kick on the right. Krohn-Dehli curls it in but Ter Stegen punches it away and Barcelona break. Suarez speeds into the Sevilla half and Banega chops him down from behind, 35 yards from goal. He’s booked. Barcelona have a free-kick. Here comes Messi. Surely not?
89 min: Messi almost completes a hat-trick of free-kicks. Beto was getting nowhere near this one, but Messi’s rasper from 30 yards whooshes just wide of the left post.
87 min: Coke is booked for a foul on Suarez on the left. Tempers are frayed. “At halftime John Giles on RTE suggested that the large numbers of players in the wall contributed to the 3 goals from freekicks as the keepers were unable to see the ball until too late,” says Fergus Carroll. “Is it just me or have both teams seemingly arrived at this conclusion too by making smaller walls this half?”
85 min: Barcelona have been really poor since Andres Iniesta went off.
84 min: Krohn-Dehli wafts an effort over the bar from 30 yards.
83 min: Sevilla win a corner on the right. This is theirs to win now.
GOAL! Barcelona 4-4 Sevilla (Konoplyanka, 81 min)
The comeback is complete! This is astonishing! Barcelona have suffered a complete meltdown! Sevilla had a throw on the right. It was chucked down the line towards Immobile. Bartra should have swept up but he made a horrible mess of it and Immobile broke clear. He kept his composure and slid the ball across goal to Konopolyanka, who tapped in his first goal for Sevilla at the far post! Football, eh? Sevilla are level! They were 4-1 down!
80 min: Sevilla bring on Ciro Immobile, who’s a loan signing from Borussia Dortmund, for Kevin Gameiro. Mariano also replaces Vicente Iborra. “I’m surprised Simon Mcmahon hasn’t beaten me to it, he’s probably watching the World famous Dundee United v Dundee but Sir Ray McKinnon once scored a hat trick of free kicks as the mighty arabs beat Kilmarnock 3 - 2,” says Callum Miller. “Incidentally, in tonight’s biggest match, the mighty Dundee United are 2 0 up against Dundee with two goals from 19 year old Blair Spittal.”
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79 min: “On Iniesta: with Pirlo and Xavi headed to non-EU leagues (i.e. in pre-retirement), would you now consider him to be the strongest player in activity and with a trophy-laden track record to not have won the Golden Ball?” says Andrea Flussi. “Who could contend this - albeit questionable - honour? Buffon is the only one that immediately springs to mind...”
After careful reflection, I’m going to throw Modibo Maiga into the mix.
78 min: Marc Bartra replaces Rafinha. Javier Mascherano moves into midfield.
77 min: A free-kick to Sevilla, around 35 yards out. Banega chips it to the right of the area and Coke hooks it across goal. Gameiro can’t reach it at the far post.
76 min: Marc Bartra will be on shortly for Barcelona.
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74 min: It’s all Sevilla at the moment. Barcelona look nervy. But they do have Messi. He finds space 25 yards out and spanks one goalwards. Beto beats it away.
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GOAL! Barcelona 4-3 Sevilla (Gameiro pen, 72 min)
Kevin Gameiro slams the penalty firmly past Ter Stegen and Sevilla are right back in this now! Barcelona need to wake up!
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PENALTY TO SEVILLA!
71 min: Tremoulinas swings another fine ball into the area from the left and Mathieu pulls Vitolo at the far post. Vitolo headed wide, so the referee awards a penalty and shows Mathieu a yellow card.
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70 min: Konoplyanka is immediately involved, dipping inside from the left, but his shot swerves well wide from 20 yards.
68 min: Yevhen Konoplyanka replaces Jose Antonio Reyes. Konoplyanka isn’t a bad signing on a free transfer, is he.
66 min: “If Messi gets another free kick and scores, that would cap his hat-trick,” says Jason Garel. “Have you ever seen a player do this? Professional or Sunday league even?”
Sinisa Mihajlovic did for Lazio.
64 min: “What are your thoughts on Pedro?” Kevin Lee says. “How would he rank among Ashley Young, Memphis Depay, Juan Mata and (snicker) Antonio Valencia?” I haven’t seen enough of Depay but Pedro would definitely be a good signing for Manchester United. He’s not flashy but he is very effective. He’s an excellent finisher and he’s quick. I don’t think he’ll create loads with ingenuity but he will score.
63 min: Iniesta is taken off. Sergi Roberto comes on.
61 min: Rakitic sends Messi racing into the area. His touch takes him wide, so he screws the ball back into the six-yard box, where Rakitic’s flick is deflected wide by Krychowiack. From the resulting corner, Busquets’ header hits the top of the bar and goes over. “I’m really enjoying the game but am currently wondering if there is another player in the world like Iniesta?” says Dante Danger. “He can play deep, move the ball forward at pace, play centrally, play as an out and out winger or even play behind the strikers. I’m honestly not sure what his best position is - surely in terms of importance to his team, he is not far behind Messi and Ronaldo, even though he is a different type of player?”
He’s the best midfielder in the world, an aesthetic joy and a player who can always be relied upon in the big games.
58 min: Barcelona stir again and Rakitic forces Beto to make a good save with a stinging shot from 20 yards. Then Iniesta goes down after being caught on his achilles. He should be able to continue.
GOAL! Barcelona 4-2 Sevilla (Reyes, 57 min)
Jose Antonio Reyes pulls a goal back for Sevilla and restores a semblance of dignity. Vitolo steamed down the left and hung a cross to the far post. With everyone drawn towards the near post, Reyes was left all alone and cushioned the ball past Ter Stegen from six yards out. A captain’s goal.
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56 min: Barcelona are taunting Sevilla now. How is it possible to be so much better than everyone else? :So after watching 52 minutes of this match, do you think Real Madrid has any chance to win La Liga (I’m a Barca fan)?” says Mike Mackenzie. “And wouldn’t Pedro look great in a West Ham shirt?”
Well Real do have a few decent players of their own, but have they rectified last season’s problems?
55 min: “Why is this in Tbilisi?” says Craig Len. The Super Cup has a different host each year.
54 min: Krohn-Dehli whizzes a shot wide from 25 yards. “Do you think Barca are purposely going for nutmegs as a form of intimidation?” says John Watson. “It seemed to be a part of the Champions League campaign toward the end, and we’ve seen it (or read about it!) tonight.” It’s the ultimate put-down.
GOAL! Barcelona 4-1 Sevilla (Suarez, 52 min)
This is too easy. Luis Suarez finally has his goal and it’s a farce from Sevilla’s point of view. Just outside the Sevilla area, the hapless Tremoulinas presents the ball straight to Busquets with a horrendous square pass. Busquets has the simplest of tasks to knock it through to Suarez, who fires a low shot past Beto.
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51 min: Emails please!
50 min: Mathieu has a gallop down the left. Iniesta feeds him the ball, but his cross fails to beat the first man. Sevilla are so open when Barcelona break.
48 min: Suarez uses his strength to hold off a man 20 yards from goal and turn, before pinging a volley not too far over from the right edge of the area.
46 min: And we’re off again! Is there any way Sevilla can drag themselves back into this?
Half-time: Barcelona 3-1 Sevilla
Barcelona are good. Lionel Messi is good. Luis Suarez is good.
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GOAL! Barcelona 3-1 Sevilla (Rafinha, 44 min)
It could have been 2-2 a moment or two ago. And Barcelona make it 3-1 with their next attack. A long ball down the inside-right channel sent Suarez racing clear on goal, Sevilla’s defence dozing off. He had a long time to make up his mind, but his shot was saved by Beto’s legs. No problem. Suarez kept going, as is his way. He retrieved the ball on the right, turned, waited for support and then a wickedly disguised pass through poor Krohn-Dehli’s legs. What had he seen? Only Rafinha hurtling into the six-yard box; the Barcelona youngster slipped the ball under Beto cutely and that should be that.
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41 min: Sevilla machinate on the right. Gameiro, who has barely had a sniff up front, almost slips a pass through for Vitolo. Pique is in the way. Suddenly Sevilla are causing problems. Vitolo pops up on the right, turns and squeezes a cross into the six-yard box. A scramble ensues and the ball breaks away from Ter Stegen and rolls towards the Barcelona goal, only for Alves to hare across and smash it to safety before Iborra can force it over the line. For all Barcelona’s dominance, it could so easily have been 2-2!
39 min: Barcelona are toying with them. Messi and Suarez almost wreak havoc in the area, but neither of them can quite find the telling touch at the end of a hypnotic move. Sevilla are hanging on for dear life out there.
35 min: Messi goes on another mischievous surge. Past one, past two, but no shot, instead a pass to Rafinha, who cleverly pulls the ball back to Iniesta. His shot is blocked and Barcelona win a corner, from which nothing occurs. But they still have the ball.
34 min: Now Ever Banega has a shot from long range. It’s straight at Ter Stegen, who does well to deal with an awkward bounce right in front of him.
33 min: Now Rakitic has a pop from 25 yards. Wide.
32 min: Dani Alves lets fly with a firm shot from 30 yards. A decent effort, but straight at Beto.
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31 min: A rare attack for Sevilla ends with Coke winning a corner off Rafinha on the right. The corner is pulled back to the edge of the area, Barcelona momentarily caught by surprise, but Krohn-Dehli is closed down before he can get his shot away.
30 min: Replays suggest that Suarez was level with Mathieu when the cross was played, which would mean that the goal should have stood and Barcelona should be 3-1 up.
28 min: Barcelona have the ball in the net again, but the flag is up for offside against Luis Suarez. Sevilla were pulled apart again, Messi starting the move, Mathieu zapping a low ball into the six-yard box, where Suarez had a tap-in, but the flag was up against the Uruguayan.
26 min: Lionel Messi, then. It’s only August. What’s he got planned for the next nine months? Where does he go from here?
23 min: Messi’s first free-kick was reminiscent of Ronald Koeman’s against England in 1993.
22 min: Barcelona could wrap this up before half-time. Messi slips a pass through to Rafinha, who unselfishly tries to pick out Suarez in the middle. Sevilla hack the ball clear.
20 min: Alves twists and turns on the right flank. His pocket is pinched, although there’s a hint of a foul. Play continues, Sevilla break, Tremoulinas wins a corner. Ter Stegen collects it.
18 min: The thing is, though, right, the thing is, yeah, Messi is a BOTTLER, yeah, because the thing is, right, listen, yeah, he’s not played in the PREMIER LEAGUE, yeah, so he doesn’t want it, he’s not hard enough, he doesn’t fancy it.
GOAL! Barcelona 2-1 Sevilla (Messi, 16 min)
Lionel Messi scores another free-kick. He is making the ridiculous look mundane. Are there any words? I should probably find some words, even though Messi is in danger of freezing my typing fingers. This one was more central and it was further out than his first effort, but he still achieved accuracy pace, curl and power with this one, whipping a ferocious effort into the left corner and past the despairing Beto. Sixteen minutes in and he’s already scored two direct free-kicks.
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14 min: Rakitic spins on the spot, completely befuddling Banega, who brings him down 25 yards out. Krychowiack is booked for dissent.
12 min: Messi lobs the ball over Tremoulinas, who catches him with a high foot. The little man appears to be in the mood, which is good news for all concerned. Unless you happen to support Sevilla or play for them.
10 min: Barcelona attack again. Suarez gets in behind on the left but he’s forced too far wide and settles for a corner, from which Pique heads wide.
9 min: Barcelona have the bit between their teeth now. Messi goes on another skitter. He finds Rakitic on the right and the former Sevilla man’s centre just misses Rafinha at the far post.
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GOAL! Barcelona 1-1 Sevilla (Messi, 7 min)
This is absurd! One free-kick for Sevilla, one for Barcelona, and Lionel Messi was never likely to let Ever Banega have all the fun, was he. Dani Alves was standing over this one, but he knew he had more chance of being named the world’s best dressed man than he did of taking it. Messi dinked it over the wall with his left foot and the scrambling Beto, diving to his left, ended up in a heap in the back of his goal as the ball dropped into the net almost in slow motion. What a start!
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7 min: Before the free-kick can be taken, the referee has to sort out some nonsense between Krychowiack and - wait for it - Sergio Busquets. And then...
5 min: Barcelona looked stunned. But not for long. Messi wriggles through the midfield thicket and attempts to slip the ball through to Suarez, who’s pulled down by Krychowiack. Barcelona have a free-kick just outside the area, to the right of the D, and Messi wants it.
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GOAL! Barcelona 0-1 Sevilla (Banega, 3 min)
It’s a stunning goal from an Argentinian, but not the one you would have expected it to come from! What a delightful free-kick this is from Ever Banega. The ball was to the left of the D, around 20 yards from goal. Banega caressed it over the wall with his right foot and the ball floated beautifully into the top-right corner, Ter Stegen not even bothering to go for it! Sevilla lead!
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2 min: Sevilla spring forward and burst through Barcelona’s defensive ranks. Reyes threatens to stream through on goal, but he’s clipped by Mascherano just outside the area! The ball breaks to the offside Vitolo but Ter Stegen smothers the ball. He’s whacked in the shins by Vitolo for his troubles, but he’s got bigger problems, a free-kick to Sevilla just outside the area.
And we’re off! Sevilla, in white shirts, white shorts and red socks, get the game underway. They’re kicking from right to left in the first half. Barcelona wait for a full 15 seconds before seizing possession of the ball. That’s quite long by their standards.
Before the football, there has to be a pre-match show. I can’t get ready to enjoy Lionel Messi otherwise. Small Georgian children are singing Imagine. It’s a bit like X Factor. They’re actually pretty good, mind you. They really know how to work a crowd, these kids, although the lip-syncing appears to be off. It’s like a Cheryl Cole concert! But they’re showing no fear at all. They’re getting properly into this. Stardom awaits!
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The teams are out at the Boris Paichadze Dinamo Arena in Tblisi. Cameras are flashing.
The teams
Barcelona, minus Neymar: Ter Stegen; Dani Alves, Pique, Mascherano, Mathieu; Rakitic, Busquets, Iniesta; Messi, Luis Suarez, Rafinha. Subs: Bravo, Pedro, Bartra, Sergi Roberto, Adriano, Sandro, Munir.
Sevilla, with Captain Jose Antonio Reyes: Beto; Coke, Rami, Krychowiak, Tremoulinas; Krohn-Dehli, Banega; Reyes, Iborra, Vitolo; Gameiro. Subs: Sergio Rico, Immobile, Kakuta, Luismi, Suarez, Konoplyanka, Mariano.
Referee: William Collum (Scotland)
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Pedro, a target for Manchester United, has asked to leave Barcelona. He’s on the bench tonight.
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Preamble
The last time these two met in the Super Cup, way back in 2006, the final score sent a few eyebrows soaring skywards. It finished Barcelona 0-3 Sevilla, Renato, Freddie Kanoute and Enzo Maresca scoring the goals, Dani Alves dominating the right flank, Juande Ramos enhancing his reputation as one of the brightest managers in Europe.
That remains the only time Sevilla have triumphed in a game that means slightly more than the Community Shield. They have reached it twice since, but lost 3-1 to Milan in 2007 and 2-0 to Real Madrid last year, two goals from Cristiano Ronaldo ending their hopes of landing one on Carlo Ancelotti’s European champions. But winning the Europa League for the second consecutive year, here they are again, hopeful of repeating their 2006 exploits by beating the best side in Europe. Not that what happens will define their season: Sevilla are back in the Champions League this season and a feisty side should do well in La Liga again.
Yet the odds are firmly stacked against them. Only one player who started for Barcelona in the aforementioned defeat to Sevilla is still around. His name is Lionel Messi (Andres Iniesta was on the bench, pedants) and you might have heard that he has improved a tad in the past nine years. Luis Enrique’s Treble winners may be without Neymar, who’s gone down with a case of the mumps, meaning that they’ll have to rely on Messi and Luis Suarez to provide the inspiration. They should survive, even though there’s no MSN tonight.
Is there any hope for Sevilla? Consider the following: they haven’t beaten these opponents since a 3-1 home win in the Spanish Super Cup in 2010 (they lost the second leg 4-0, Messi scoring a hat-trick), have recently been on the end of 5-1 and 4-1 drubbings against them and their manager, Unai Emery, has not beaten Barcelona in 19 attempts. Oof. That’s grim. But maybe, if we think back to 11 April and the last meeting between these two sides, there is hope! Barcelona led 2-0 early on but it was a stirring comeback from Sevilla that secured a dramatic 2-2 draw. More of that tonight, please!
Kick-off: 7.45pm BST.
