UEFA Super Cup

BUDAPEST — Bayern Munich beat Sevilla 2-1 after extra time on Thursday to lift the UEFA Super Cup and complete a quadruple under coach Hansi Flick, in the first European game played with fans in the stands since the sport returned amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Substitute Javi Martinez headed in the winner in the 104th minute after Europa League winners Sevilla had taken a 13th-minute lead through Lucas Ocampos's penalty and Bayern levelled through Leon Goretzka in the 34th.

BUDAPEST — When Hungarian and European football leaders invited Hungarian ambulance workers to the continent's first major international match open to fans since the COVID-19 pandemic began, 500 paramedics jumped at the chance to attend Thursday's Super Cup.

Champions League winners Bayern Munich of Germany and Europa League champions Sevilla of Spain meet at Budapest's Puskas Arena in a game that European football's governing body UEFA considers a safety test of games with spectators.

Kick It Out, an organization that advocates for players who experience racial abuse within the footballing world, has issued a call to action to social media companies in response to the Twitter abuse that Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham has received over the past 24 hours.

It can be hard to gauge too much from a UEFA Super Cup. Right before the start of the season, clubs have differing views on the importance of a one-off continental cup. 

It wasn’t hard to tell how much Jurgen Klopp cared, and his team played like it.

After being forced to start his Chelsea career on the bench during last Sunday’s humiliating 4-0 defeat to Manchester United in the Premier League, Christian Pulisic made his first-ever competitive start for the Blues in Wedne

The UEFA Super Cup is a match of limited importance, much like the Community Shield. But Americans had one question on their minds ahead of this year’s edition between Chelsea and Liverpool: Is Christian Pulisic starting?

Is Christian Pulisic Starting UEFA Super Cup?

You betcha. 

As a neutral, I’m a big fan of this back and forth between Jurgen Klopp and Sergio Ramos. I hope it continues forever. After Klopp labeled Ramos “ruthless” and “brutal” a couple weeks ago during Liverpool’s preseason tour, Ramos duly responded by saying: “He will be wanting to explain not winning the final, but it’s not the first that he has lost. Some of us have been operating at a very high level for many years — I’m not sure he can say the same.”