Birthday boy Bernardo saves City, penalties bring them the trophy!

After Garnacho broke the deadlock in the 82nd minute, it seemed that the trophy would end up at Old Trafford, but (on the day of his 30th birthday) Bernardo Silva disagreed, netting a header a minute before the end! Although the Cityzens took the trophy, ten Hag's crew will have much to regret! Fernandes' goal was disallowed, Rashford hit the post, the Red Devils had the advantage until the penultimate minute, only to lose the game on penalties! In the end, Jonny Evans' miss was the decisive one, enabling Akanji to score and bring joy to the sky-blue part of Manchester.

Ahead of this match, Man City certainly wanted to get revenge on the city rivals for a 2-1 defeat in the FA Cup final in May this year and win their first Community Shield since 2019, given that they lost the last three clashes for this trophy. On the other hand, the eventual triumph over the current champions and the city rivals and the trophy - although probably the least important in English football - would represent a significant confidence boost for both the players and the fans of the Red Devils.

Pep Guardiola left Kevin De Bruyne, Nathan Ake, and Bernardo Silva on the bench, as well as the latest Cityzens' acquisition Savinho. Several youngsters, including James McAtee, Oscar Bobb, Nico O'Reilly, and Rico Lewis, got the chance. Conversely, Eric ten Hag opted for a strong and experienced starting 11, with the 22-year-old Ivorian Amad Diallo and England international Kobbie Mainoo as the youngest players.

What a deal! Bayern Munich's defending duo agrees a move to Manchester United

Guardiola's boys took over possession from the beginning and mostly controlled the game in the initial part of the match. Twenty-two minutes into the game, Bobb got himself out of a tight corner into the box past Harry Maguire and Jonny Evans, but his strike flew over the bar. Only two minutes later, Lisandro Martinez lost the ball near the penalty area, McAtee got a perfect inside pass but his shot crashed against the post.

The Red Devils answered ten minutes later when Diallo could've taken a shot instead of trying to find Mason Mount in the box and spoiling an excellent chance. In the 36th minute, Marcus Rashford attempted from inside the box, sending the ball wide of the right post. That turned out to be the last notable moment in the goalless first half.

Nine minutes after the break, Bruno Fernandes scored a screamer from the edge of the box, which was - unfortunately for United fans - disallowed due to offside. Even though the Red Devils were much better in the initial part of the second period, already in the 59th minute, ten Hag reacted, making a quadruple sub! Scott McTominay, Alejandro Garnacho, Facundo Pellistri, and the youngster Toby Collyer entered the game for Mount, Diallo, Maguire, and Mainoo.

Minutes later, Guardiola responded by subbing in the debutant Savinho and Mateus Nunes for Doku and O'Reilly. A quarter of an hour before the end, United's No. 10 missed the best opportunity in the match! Garnacho found Rashford in the box with a perfect cross, but the Englishman ended up smashing a close-range effort against the post!

Five minutes later, the birthday boy, Bernardo Silva, entered the pitch for McAtee but after only two minutes, the rivals took the lead! Garnacho - ten Hag's golden sub - went into the box with an ideal solo effort and fired a perfect strike that went inside the right post, changing the scoreline and giving United the lead! Immediately afterwards, the Dutch tactician replaced Rashford with Jadon Sancho, showing that their disagreements are in the past now.

However, Silva didn't want to celebrate without the trophy today and levelled the score in the 89th minute, meeting Bobb's ideal cross with a powerful header! Thinking of penalties and needing experience on the field, Guardiola sent De Bruyne and Ake in. After the late equalizer, it was clear that the penalty roulette would decide the winner.

Already in the first series of pens, Andre Onana saved Silva's strike after Fernandes was impeccable from the spot. Dalot, De Bruyne, Garnacho, and Erling Haaland were calm and precise from the spot in the next two series, and then Ederson - with some help from the left post - saved Sancho's effort! The Brazilian trio, Savinho, Casemiro, and Ederson, made no error, making it 4-4 after five series.

McTominay, Nunes, Martinez, and Ruben Dias continued the scoring trend, before the eighth series which turned out to be decisive. The experienced Evans failed to convert the spot kick, skying the ball into the stands, and Manuel Akanji used it and brought the Cityzens their seventh Community Shield trophy!

COMMUNITY SHIELD

Saturday

Man United - Man City 7-6 on pen (1-1)

/Garnacho 82 - Bernardo Silva 89/