Barca wins European Super Cup after 9-goal chase

Patiently coming back from behind against Barca, Sevilla only lost after Pedro's goal sealed the 5-4 score in the 115th minute.

Pedro became Barca's hero like the 2009 Super Cup match. Photo: Reuters

Goals: Messi 7', 16', Rafinha 44', Suarez 52', Pedro 115' - Sevilla Banega 3', Reyes 57', Gameiro 72', Konoplyanka 81'

Barca surprisingly led 4-1 after only 52 minutes and then lost the advantage inexplicably in the following period. Taking advantage of the Champions League champions' defense's laxity, Sevilla scored three goals in a row to level the score at 4-4. When the match was about to go to the penalty shootout, Barca had to rely on "luck" Pedro to overcome and win. Pedro's left-footed finish in the 115th minute not only helped the team relieve the psychological burden but also brought the fourth title in 2015 after the King's Cup, La Liga and Champions League.

This is the second time Pedro has scored the decisive goal for Barca in a European Super Cup match. In 2009, the striker also shined when he scored in the 119th minute to help coach Pep Guardiola's team win the title against Shakhtar Donetsk.

As expected of beautiful football, the Super Cup match between the two Spanish teams was truly a spectacle. Players from both sides even scored the first three goals from direct free kicks, with Ever Banega opening the scoring for Sevilla, while compatriot Lionel Messi responded with two consecutive goals for Barca.

The match got off to the perfect start with three consecutive free kicks.

Thanks to M10's excellent form, Barca played with great enthusiasm throughout the rest of the first half. Sevilla's goal was constantly faced with dangerous attacks, in which Rafinha and Luis Suarez missed at least two great chances. Rafinha started in this match instead of Neymar, the striker who was suffering from mumps, but did not play very well. Barca had to wait until the 44th minute to increase the score to 3-1 when Suarez passed the ball "threaded" a Sevilla player, creating conditions for Rafinha to score.

Everything was going smoothly for Barca until the 52nd minute, when Suarez took full advantage of the opponent's defense's mistake to increase the score to 4-1.

The match could have been less exciting if it weren't for the unexpected turn of events after the fifth goal. After playing steadily, Barca's defense suddenly became complacent and made a series of mistakes. Thanks to that, Sevilla scored three goals in a row to level the score.

The way the Catalan giants lost three goals in a row can also bring smiles to the picky audience. If in the 57th minute, four defenders were drawn to the left side of the penalty area, giving Reyes a free foot to tap the ball in, then in the 72nd minute, Mathieu pulled his shirt from behind, forcing the referee to award a penalty. Not only that, just three minutes after entering the field, center-back Bartra made a mistake in marking, allowing Immobile to pass to Konoplyanka to easily equalize the score at 4-4.

Barca made things difficult for themselves despite two early goals from Messi. Photo: Reuters.

Having to start from scratch after leading 4-1, Barca were really shaken mentally. Luis Enrique's team regained the initiative in the two extra periods but could not make the most of their opportunities.

Things could have been worse for Barca if Pedro had not entered the field in the 93rd minute. After just over ten minutes on the field, the striker wearing the number 7 shirt proved his necessity to his teammates when he quickly shot back from the situation where the Sevilla goalkeeper punched the ball after Messi's free kick, sealing the 5-4 victory.

Sevilla were also unlucky when they failed to take advantage of two great opportunities in the last five minutes. Captain Coke and defender Rami both faced the Barca goal from just a few meters away but their shots missed the post.

With a thrilling victory over Sevilla, Barca has won the European Super Cup for the fifth time. The previous four times were in 1992, 1997, 2009 and 2011. With this year's victory, Barca also equaled the record of AC Milan, who won the title five times in 1989, 1990, 1994, 2003 and 2007.

Barca deservedly won the title after a score chase.

According to VNE