Manchester City – Sevilla

The English champion will dominate the Spanish club

Shortly before the start of the decisive matches to qualify for the group stages of European football tournaments, the first continental trophy of the new season will be played. Despite its status as a largely exhibition game, the European Super Cup has been a fixture on the football calendar since 1972 and will attract the attention of fans from all over the world on Wednesday. Much of that will be influenced by the presence of debutant Manchester City in the match. The English club will play in the European Super Cup for the first time, although last season it was undoubtedly the best football club on the continent, having won three titles: two national and one of the most prestigious European titles. Sevilla, unlike their more financially and personnel powerful rival, will play in the European Super Cup for the seventh time. Compared to their success in the Europa League, where the Red and Whites have a magical record of seven victories in the finals without a single defeat, Sevilla have nothing to be proud of in the continental Super Cup. Since 2006, they have taken part in six matches, resulting in five losses to the Champions League winners, and won only their first attempt. The bookmakers considered Pep Guardiola's team as clear favourites to win at the Karaiskakis, offering odds of 1.36 on their victory in regulation time. Manchester City won the Champions League last season in a fair way. The club had the strongest rivals in the form of Bayern Munich, Madrid and Inter. The Mancunians spent the off-season rather low-key, with the help of Josko Guardiola and Mateo Kovacic strengthening the centre of the pitch. Guardiola's team played their first official match in the FA Super Cup, which they lost, as is the tradition of recent years. This time - Arsenal. In the opening round of the Premier League, Manchester City improved the mood with a 3-0 win over Burnley. Sevilla won another Europa League draw by getting past Manchester United, Juventus and Roma in the final play-off rounds. A line-up of opponents that can hardly be distinguished from the Champions League. In the off-season, the Red and Whites were focused not on strengthening the squad, but on preserving the existing human resources. In the first Primera match of the new season, Sevilla lost at home to Valencia. Manchester City will not repeat the mistakes of their fellow countrymen from United last season and will beat the Spanish club in regulation time on Wednesday.