Pedro is Barcelona's UEFA Super Cup hero again
Baku, August 12, AZERTAC
Pedro Rodríguez scored his second 115th-minute winner in a UEFA Super Cup to give Barcelona a sensational victory against Sevilla, according to uefa.com
In only the third minute Sevilla were ahead with the fastest-ever UEFA Super Cup goal. Javier Mascherano brought down José Antonio Reyes just outside the box and Éver Banega's curling free-kick gave Marc-André ter Stegen no chance.
Barcelona, starting with Rafinha on the left of attack in the absence of the ill Neymar, were soon level in similar style, the free-kick this time by Lionel Messi, Grzegorz Krychowiak having fouled Luis Suárez. And on 16 minutes Messi had done it again, his free-kick coming from the left with Banega having brought down former Sevilla man Ivan Rakitić.
It was to Sevilla's relief that Suárez had a strike ruled out for offside, while Daniel Alves, appearing in a joint-record fifth UEFA Super Cup, tested Beto. Barcelona were grateful for Sergio Busquets stopping a Kevin Gameiro shot as it threatened to creep in, but before the break Rafinha made it 3-1, sliding the ball in after Suárez had recovered it when his original effort was blocked by Beto.
Barcelona did not relent in the second half and Suárez had his goal in the 52nd minute, played through after Busquets intercepted a defensive pass. Michael Krohn-Dehli, making his competitive Sevilla debut, came close from distance before Reyes did get one back five minutes later, set up by Vitolo.
The let-up was only temporary as Rafinha looped a header onto the bar from Rakitić's corner. Sevilla sent on a player they signed from the team they beat to the UEFA Europa League last season, Yevhen Konoplyanka formerly of Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk, and almost immediately were back to 4-3, Jérémy Mathieu bringing down Vitolo in the box and Gameiro smashing in his penalty.
A third Sevilla debutant, Ciro Immobile, came on for Gameiro in the 80th minute and almost straight away he centred for Konoplyanka to equalise. Messi so nearly prevented extra time, hitting the post in the final minute with yet another free-kick.
Pedro, Barcelona's extra-time hero against Shakhtar Donetsk in 2009, came on early in the additional half-hour. And in the identical 115th minute, Pedro repeated his trick of six years ago, pouncing after a Messi free-kick was blocked and the second shot parried by Beto. Adil Rami so nearly levelled in added time but for the second year running, Sevilla fell short in the UEFA Super Cup.
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