In tonight's exciting Community Shield final, Manchester City managed to win the title by defeating Manchester United 7-6 on penalties. After the match, key player Akanji was interviewed by ITV, sharing his unique insights and inner feelings about the match.
Akanji began by talking about his strategy and mentality in the penalty shootout. He explained, "I chose to let the other players take the penalties first because I understand that once someone misses a penalty, the pressure at the back will increase exponentially and confidence will be affected. I hoped that by arranging it this way, my teammates would find their senses first, and I could adjust my mindset while observing." This selfless team spirit and trust in teammates was undoubtedly one of the key factors that enabled City to keep their composure in the penalty shootout and ultimately win.
On his penalty performance, Akanji said, "In training, I had told Ederson that if I had a penalty opportunity, I would choose to play in the middle. Today I did just that and luckily the ball went in." This focus on training and confidence in his technique allowed him to strike decisively at crucial moments and earn valuable points for his team.
Akanji also spoke highly of the team's overall performance, especially the excellent play of rivals Manchester United in the early stages of the game. "It wasn't easy, we played well but United were a bit better before taking the lead." He confessed, "However, we had our highlights, such as Oscar Bob's great cross and B's header, which were key moments that changed the game."
Talking about the team's penalty takers, Akanji was full of praise for Ederson and Harland: "Ederson is probably the best penalty taker in our team, and so is Harland. When Ederson takes a penalty, I'm almost certain the ball will go in." This full trust and recognition of teammates' abilities has undoubtedly enhanced the team's internal cohesion and combat effectiveness.
Finally, Akanji expressed his joy at winning the title and his expectations for the future, "It's been a great start to the season, I haven't won the Community Shield yet so it's great to win this trophy. We hope to keep the momentum going and win the next trophy soon." His words were full of desire for victory and confidence in the future, and inspired every City player to continue to move forward and create another success.
