Substitute goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga made the two penalty saves to win the super Cup after the Gerard Moreno canceled out Hakim Ziyech's opener.
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Chelsea beat Villarreal 6-5 on penalties at Windsor Park to win the UEFA Super Cup. Hakim Ziyech found the breakthrough in the 27th minute for Chelsea to give them the lead. But Gerard Moreno equalized in the second half to force the game to extra time. Since both teams could not be separated in extra time, the game went to penalties. Chelsea’s substitute goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga made the crucial saves to lift the trophy for the Blues in Belfast.
The English club who beat Manchester City to lift the Champions League title started positively. N’Golo Kante robbed the ball from Gerard Moreno before forcing a full stretch save from Villarreal goalkeeper Sergio Asenjo. Three minutes from half-hour mark, left-back Marcos Alonso played a superb through ball for Kai Havertz. Ziyech met his delicate cross from the left flank and did the rest.
Seven minutes after the goal, Ziyech and Alonso combined to open the Villarreal defence. But Asenjo’s superb reflex save denied the Spanish left-back. Meanwhile, just before the interval, at the other end, Alberto Moreno’s thunderous first time volley from a Gerard Moreno’s cross clattered on to the cross bar, that was the closest The Yellow Marine came to scoring in the first half.
After the restart, Chelsea goalkeeper Edourd Mendy’s poor clearance created a one-on-one chance for Gerard Moreno. But, the Spanish striker who is normally very reliable from such situations couldn’t find the back of the net as his grounded shot was deflected onto the post by Mendy’s right arm.
However, in the 72nd minute, Dia and Gerard Moreno combined inside the penalty area as Dia’s back-heel pass was superbly fired past Mendy to level the score for the Europa League champions.
Thomas Tuchel’s side created the better chances in the extra time as Pulisic fired his shot wide from inside the area and Mount was denied by Asenjo but Unai Emery’s side stood firm to take the game to penalties.
Asenjo continued his good work between the post’s as he produced a save from the first penalty taken by Havertz and then Gerard Moreno converted the spot kick to put the pressure on Chelsea. But Kepa denied Aissa Mandi to cancel Villarreal’s penalty advantage. And then the 26-year-old Chelsea custodian denied Raul Albiol to lift the trophy for The Blues.Â
