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Barcelona lifted the Spanish Super Cup for a record extending 13th time by coming from behind to beat Sevilla 2-1 on Sunday thanks to a stunning strike from France winger Ousmane Dembele and a penalty save in stoppage time from Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

King’s Cup runners-up Sevilla took a surprise lead in the traditional curtain raiser to the season against Barcelona when Pablo Sarabia fired home in the ninth minute after Luis Muriel had powered his way through the Barca defence.

The video assistant referee (VAR) was used for the first time in Spanish soccer to award the goal, which had initially been ruled offside.

Gerard Pique levelled for Barca shortly before halftime by pouncing on the rebound after Lionel Messi’s free kick had ricocheted off the post, while Sevilla’s Franco Vazquez glanced a header off the crossbar in the second half in Tangier, Morocco.

 The competition, which ditched its traditional two-legged format and was also played outside Spain for the first time, looked to be headed for extra-time until Dembele let fly from outside the area and his shot thumped in off the crossbar in the 78th minute.

 

“Itwas a really difficult game because we conceded very early and we had to fight back. A lot of players have only recently come back from breaks and that took its toll,” Barca coach Ernesto Valverde told reporters.

“We grew as the game went on. It was an exciting game and they also had their chances. It’s good to win because it gives you belief in what you are doing and it allows you to start the season on the front foot.”

Sevilla had a golden late chance to force extra-time when former Barca player Aleix Vidal was fouled by Ter Stegen in the 89th minute, but substitute Wissam Ben Yedder struck his penalty softly along the ground and the towering German goalkeeper comfortably caught the ball.

“My team deserve a lot of credit for showing that we have soul spirit and courage after Dembele’s great goal and not only did we win a penalty but we also swarmed all over their goal,” said Sevilla coach Pablo Machin.

“It hurts a lot to lose a trophy like this but when your team competes until the end and shows spirit like they did tonight you can’t ask for much more.”

Barca’s new captain Messi lifted his first piece of silverware since inheriting the armband from former midfielder Andres Iniesta, and the Argentine also overtook the Spaniard as Barca’s most decorated player with 33 trophies to his name.

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World number one Simona Halep turned back American Sloane Stephens 7-6(6) 3-6 6-4 to win the Rogers Cup women’s title in a rematch of their French Open finale in Montreal on Sunday.

Romanian Halep, who had beaten Stephens in Paris in June, claimed her second Montreal title in three years and third for the 2018 season.

She closed out the hard-fought match with her third ace of the day.

“It’s an amazing feeling to be able to talk again at this ceremony as a winner,” Halep said.

 
 

“I feel like I reached my best level of tennis, even if I had a long break before this tournament and I felt dead after the first day.”

Halep fended off four set points to claim a back-and-forth first set in a tiebreak after storming to a 4-1 lead before U.S. Open champion Stephens fought back to level.

Halep broke the third-seeded Stephens with a crosscourt winner to take a 5-4 lead and serve for the set. But the American broke Halep with a forehand winner and held two set points on the Romanian’s serve at 6-5. A crosscourt backhand saved one and Stephens netted a return on the second.

Numerous forehand errors by Halep gave Stephens a 4-0 lead in the tiebreak and the American went up 6-4 before Halep rallied, crushing a backhand down the line to earn her first set point, which she converted.

Stephens led throughout the second set, breaking Halep twice, but the Romanian took control of the third set, turning a break into a 5-2 advantage.

Stephens rallied to within 5-4 before Halep, on her fourth match point, slammed her third ace of the match and dropped to her knees in triumph.

“You make me play better and better every time we play,” Halep said of Stephens.

The American returned the compliment.

“Even though I lost today, I literally left everything on the court,” Stephens said.

“Obviously I’m sad I lost, but losing to the number one player isn’t too bad.

“Every time I play her, she makes me a better player, she makes me raise my level.”

 

 

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