Manchester City beat Man United in the FA Community Shield

Shilpa Rajan August 13, 2024

Manchester City in Penalty Shootout

Manchester City registered a penalty shootout win against Manchester United to win the FA Community Shield. Pep Guardiola’s men finally lifted the trophy after losing the last three finals. The match ended 1-1 and was decided on penalties that City won 7-6.

The winners of the English Premier League and FA Cup go head-to-head in the first match of the season. Manchester City have won the league for the last four seasons. Manchester United won the FA Cup 2023-24 after beating Man City in the final.

Starting 11

Pep Guardiola rested Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva for this match. Erling Haaland led the line along with Doku and Bobb. Mateo Kovacic commanded the midfield alongside O’Reilly and McAtee. Ruben Dias led the team and was supported by Akanji, Lewis, and Gvardiol in defense. Transfer-bound Ederson started in the goal.

Erik ten Hag’s side had a bit of injury concerns. However, he named a strong side for this fixture. Andre Onana was in goal. Martinez, Evans, Maguire, and Dalot completed the back four. Mainoo and Casemiro were present in the midfield. Rashford, Amad, Mount, and Bruno led the attack.

Goalless first half

Both clubs looked a bit shaky in the first half. Manchester City had more of the ball but they struggled to create chances. James McAtee attempted a left-foot shot that struck the post. There was not a single shot on target from both sides in the first 45 minutes.

Impact off the bench

The second half was more open as both teams tried to find a breakthrough. Casemiro added some energy to the midfield. He was creating chances for Manchester United. The Red Devils made four changes just before the hour mark. Alejandro Garnacho came in and added more spark to the attack.

Erik ten Hag’s side looked a threat on the counter. His tactics almost paid off when Garnacho and Rashford timed their run in the 75^th minute. Garnacho’s pass found Rashford in the box. Marcus Rashford lacked a bit of confidence and his shot struck the post.

Man United Leads

In the 82^nd minute, Garnacho took control in his own hands. He was playing on the right wing. The Argentine received Bruno’s pass. He dribbled past a couple of players and attempted a left-footed shot. Ederson was unable to stop the ball from going in and Man United took the lead.

Manchester City were not going down that easily. Oscar Bobb took on the defense and delivered a cross on the edge of the six-yard box. Birthday boy Bernardo Silva headed the ball into United’s net to equal the score. The match went into a penalty shoot-out.

Penalty shoot-out

Bernardo Silva missed the first penalty for his team. Manchester United converted all their penalties until the fourth one. Ederson saved Jadon Sancho’s penalty and the shoot-out went into a sudden death. Jonny Evans stepped up to take the eighth penalty but his shot went over the bar. Akanji converted the final penalty to win the game for Pep Guardiola’s men. It was an exciting opening for the season up ahead.