GEORGIA – Lionel Messi had a brace and Luis Suarez also scored as FC Barcelona defeated league rival FC Sevilla 5-4 in a nine-goal offensive showcase for the ages in the 2015 UEFA Super Cup at Boris Paichadze Stadium in Georgia.
Pedro who reportedly had been transferred to Manchester United before the match, came into the game in extra time and scored the game-winning goal off of a rebound from a Messi strike that Sevilla's keeper was unable to hang on to.
It was a superfluous display of free kicks throughout the first half of the match as the first three goals of the game came on set pieces from outside the box.
Ever Banega started the offensive onslaught with a free kick from just outside the box. Banega's right footed shot found the bottom left corner of the net to put Sevilla up 1-0 in the third minute.
But Banega's strike seemed to only awaken a sleeping giant as Barcelona bounced back with four unanswered goals, the first two both of free kicks by the Maestro, Lionel Messi.
Messi scored two goals off free kicks in one game for the first time in his entire career.
Luis Suarez missed a wide open shot in the 44th minute, but thankfully got his own rebound and found Rafinha wide open in front of the net for Barca's third goal of the game.
Suarez opened up his 2015-2016 season campaign with Barcelona with a goal of his own just seven minutes into the start of the second half. Suarez received a pass from Sergio Busquets and quickly blasted a shot from the center of the box into the bottom left corner of the net.
It was all down hill for the current Champions League Title Holders after that. Barcelona's normally stout defense became suspect as Sevilla made one of the most miraculous comebacks in Super Cup history.
Jose Antonio Reyes, Kevin Garneiro and Yevhen Konoplyanka all scored for Sevilla over the next 24 minutes as the Europa League champions scored three unanswered goals to stun Barcelona and tie the game at 4-4.
The game would go to extra time where Barcelona manager Luis Enrique would substitute Javier Mascherano for the youngster Pedro, who has spent his entire career in the Barcelona youth academy. Pedro did not start in the game as rumors swirled around Europe that the young striker was headed for Manchester United.
Instead, Pedro came onto to the pitch in the first part of extra time, and scored the game-winning goal, helping FC Barcelona lift their first major trophy of the new season.
Once again, the magical Messi took a free kick in the 115th minute that was blocked by the wall of Sevilla players. Messi acutely jumped on the rebound and put a sensational shot through the wall and into the bottom left corner of the net, but it was saved by Beto. Unfortunately for the Portuguese keeper, he was unable to hold on to the ball cleanly, and the rebound went straight to Pedro who put it into the back of the net.
The all Spanish UEFA Super Cup, was the second time the two teams have met in the match that pits the winner of the UEFA Champions League against the winner of the UEFA Europa League. Both teams met in 2006 when Sevilla hoisted their first ever Super Cup trophy in a 3-0 shocker against the most decorated club in all of Spain.
With the extra time victory, FC Barcelona lifted thier fifth ever UEFA Super Cup trophy, tied with AC Milan for the most all-time.
Both teams will meet again in the coming weeks as La Liga begins next week as Barcelona looks to defend their title as Champions of Spain.
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