Chelsea take the trophy by beating Villarreal on penalties

With the arrival of Lionel Messi to Paris Saint-Germain, we almost forgot that the football planet continues to shift to everywhere else. Wednesday in Belfast was the big day for the European Super Cup. Above all, the match allowed Chelsea and their coach Thomas Tuchel to assert their current dominance on the continent. Trembling winner of Villarreal (1-1, tab 6-5), the club has already won a new title after the Champions League.

However, it was not Chelsea in the exhausted May of Porto, the one who dominated (1-0) Manchester City in the C1 final… but it was the flashy Chelsea! By bringing in his second keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga just before the penalty shootout, Tuchel managed to strike a blow: the Spanish goalkeeper, who was demoted last season to the rank of substitute Edward Mendy, hijacked Issa Mandy’s bid and captain Raul Albiol’s bid, upset.

Tuchel connects addresses

A gesture enough to deliver the coronation for the Blues, their second European Cup after 1998. The second title, above all, for Tuchel, in just over six months on the London bench. The poet is perfect, a far cry from the difficulties she experienced at the end of the German’s lease contract with Paris Saint-Germain, last winter.

The London victory had been seen much earlier, on the 27th, with a goal by Moroccan striker Hakim Ziyech, who was sent by Kai Havertz from a low left heart. A big bonus for this player is not always nominal, but they are always present during the big encounters, with goals in 2021 against City in the FA Cup and in the tournament, and against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League. This is a unit worth a lot, but it will not necessarily remain a good memory for the Moroccan, because he suddenly had to leave his teammates injured in the shoulder before the first half (43).

Moreno is still scoring

For his part, Thomas Tuchel almost always maintained his defensive solidity despite the absence of Thiago Silva, and the always assured contribution from N’Golo Kante, captain of the evening. Also when the French player left, Chelsea finally withdrew, with an impressive 1 – 2 score that was decided by Gerard Moreno (73), who had already scored in the Europa League final against another English team, Manchester United. Previously, the team coached by Unai Emery was unlucky, with a crossbar from Alberto Moreno (45+3) and a shot from Gerard Moreno (52) deflected by Edward Mendy.

A succession of candid events that provided a very impressive spectacle for 10,435 spectators in Windsor Park. On the ground, Chelsea succeeds the untouchable Bayern Munich, in passing the win in the former Paris Saint-Germain coaches duel between Emery, who was not extended at the end of his contract in France, and Tuchel, who was unceremoniously dismissed at the end of December 2020.