Manchester City beat Liverpool to claim Community Shield (Match Report)

Manchester City have retained the Community Shield they won last season, but this time around it was Liverpool who gave them a very good match which went into penalties after 1-1 draw .

The Premier League champions eventually beat the UEFA Chapions League winners 5-4 on spot-kicks.

City were the better team in the first half, but Liverpool ran them ragged in the second half and fully deserved Joel Matip’s equaliser.

City led through Raheem Sterling’s early goal, which was both well-worked and scruffy. Kevin de Bruyne found David Silva, who knocked the ball on for Sterling to blast home. His shot was straight at Alisson, but hit with such venom from close range he could not keep it out

The Guardiola-tutored side were much the better team in general play – but Liverpool created three good chances of their own, all falling to Mo Salah.

In the second half, Liverpool were all over the Premier League champions. Shortly after the commencement of the second half, Van Dijk hit the underside of the bar! Alexander-Arnold’s scruffy corner from the left bounced past everyone at the near post and was hooked towards goal by Van Dijk.

It beat Bravo, rebounded off the underside of the bar and bounced down onto the line. Van Dijk thought it was in; goal-line technology confirmed it was not.

In the 58th minute of the game, Mo Salah also hit the post. The Egyptian wriggled away from a couple of City players on the edge of the area and drove a low, left-footed shot through the legs of David Silva. Bravo was slightly unsighted and the ball rebounded off the outside of the post.

Sterling should have handed the Etihad club their second goal in the 61st minute when nhe had a great chance to do that. He was put through on goal by Walker, with all the time in the world to decide what to do. He couldn’t decide whether to shoot or give the goal to Walker; in the end he did neither and ran the ball straight into the loving arms of Alisson.

Liverpool got a deserved equaliser for Liverpool in the 77th minute when Henderson’s free-kick from a narrow position on the right skimmed off the head of somebody in the middle and came to Van Dijk beyond the far post. He lobbed it calmly back into the six-yard box, where Matip beat Bravo with a precise downward header.

From this point it was Liverpool all the way. But they were unable to get the wining goal no thank to City goalkeeper who kept his team in the match.

Even during the penalty shoot-out, Bravo saved Georginio Wijnaldum ‘s kick while City scored all their own kicks to hand the Premier League champions the Community Shield.

Photo Credit: Twitter/mancity.com/tv, liverpoolfc.com