Premier League champions Manchester City beat FA Cup winners Manchester United 7-6 on penalties to win the Community Shield at the Wembley on Saturday after the traditional season curtain-raiser finished level 1-1.
United created quite a few chances to take the lead and were rewarded when 20-year-old substitute Alejandro Garnacho ran through the City defence to slide the ball into the bottom corner of the net in the 82nd minute.
Erik ten Hag’s team looked on course to repeat their shock victory over City in last season’s FA Cup final, but midfielder Bernardo Silva netted a minute from time to send the match to penalties.
Manuel Akanji scored the decisive penalty for City after Silva had earlier missed a spot-kick in the shootout.
City won the trophy for the first time since 2019 to end a run of defeats in Community Shield matches, following losses to Arsenal last season, Liverpool in 2022 and Leicester City in 2021.
Earlier, in this tightly-contested game, James McAtee, starting in City’s midfield along with 19-year-old Nico O’Reilly, had struck the post while United had gone agonisingly close to a brilliant team goal when Amad Diallo’s pass across just eluded the onrushing goalkeeper.
In other words, United had the better of the chances, with Marcus Rashford spurning several opportunities and City boss Pep Guardiola seen throwing his water bottle to the floor in frustration given his side’s performance at the end of the first half.
Guardiola was smiling at the end, though, with Akanji’s winning penalty.
For United, Jadon Sancho and Jonny Evans missed a chance apiece. City’s England players Phil Foden, Kyle Walker, John Stones and midfielder Rodri were unavailable for selection as they fielded four academy players starting.
United, however, will take encouragement from the way they performed and were boosted by the news of a deal agreed for Bayern Munich centre-back Matthijs de Ligt.
