Chelsea 1-1 Villarreal (after extra time, Chelsea won 6-5 on penalties)
(Ziyech 27′; Gerard Moreno 73′)
Goalkeeper Kepa came off the bench and saved two penalties in the shootout as Chelsea lifted the trophy for the first time since 1998.
Chelsea – Villarreal: how we live it, reactions
Chelsea, who had shaken off other Spanish sides such as Atlético and Real Madrid on their way to the UEFA Champions League title, kept their momentum going in the first half of this final in Belfast, with Timo Werner and N’Golo Kanté nearly scored before Hakim Ziyech finished off a cross from Kai Havertz to give Thomas Tuchel’s side the lead in the 27th minute of the game.
Chelsea – Villarreal: the full penalty shootout–
The ‘Yellow Submarine’ had offered little until then, but the first goal made them react and Alberto Moreno warned of what would happen in the second half by crashing the ball against the crossbar just before half-time.
Unai Emery’s team, who had eliminated two English teams such as Arsenal and Manchester United in their last two matches played in the Europa League, was a different team after going through the changing rooms and forced extra time when Gerard Moreno equalized after an intelligent and precise pass from Boulaye Dia.
Chelsea’s celebration in the locker room–
The ‘Blues’ were superior in the additional 30 minutes, but the game ended up going to penalties. Kepa, who came on for Edouard Mendy in the final minute of extra time, prevented Aïssa Mandi from neutralizing Havertz’s earlier mistake, and then made the decisive intervention on Raúl Albiol’s shot, the fourteenth penalty in an epic shootout.
The fact that this match went to the end before Chelsea came out on top came as no surprise given recent history. The London team’s victory was the eighth in the last nine UEFA Super Cups for the Champions League winners, with seven of those nine finals going to at least extra time.
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