Messi dazzles, Pedro scores in extra time to stymie Sevilla comeback in wild UEFA Super Cup

The scariest team on the planet picked up where it left off last season ...

That's how many a match recap began for Tuesday's UEFA Super Cup match between Barcelona and Sevilla, particularly as the former - looking like its free-flowing, dominant self - had established a 4-1 lead early in the second half of the contest.

Then the re-writes started.

Sevilla, last season's Europa League winners, stormed back, stunning the defending Champions League holders with three goals in 24 minutes to push the thrilling encounter into extra time - and add its name to an exclusive list of clubs to make the Blaugrana look so defensively inept.

Lionel Messi, the imperious Argentine already in midseason form, scored twice - with two inch-perfect free-kicks - and Luis Suarez added a pair of goals himself. Some things don't change.

Related: VIDEO - Messi equalises at UEFA Super Cup with free-kick, then scores another

But Unai Emery's side flipped the script, and had everyone questioning their declarations from the opening half that the Blaugana would stroll to another season of domestic and European dominance. Goals from Jose Antonio Reyes, Kevin Gameiro, and Yevhen Konoplyanka had fans and pundits alike questioning Barcelona, and themselves.

Well, you see, it turns out there was one final re-write that needed to happen.

With reporters pounding away at their keyboards, trying to weave the perfect comeback story, Pedro - the wantaway attacker who is reportedly on his way to Manchester United - put an exclamation point on a wild contest rife with narratives. The diminutive Spaniard smashed home a rebound (from a Messi shot, of course) in the 115th minute, ensuring that Barcelona would indeed win a nine-goal thriller and claim the UEFA Super Cup for a fifth time in club history; a total that ties the Catalan side with AC Milan for the most all-time.

New season, not quite the same Barcelona? In attack, it was beautiful as ever. In defense ... not so much. And yet, the club walked away with yet another piece of silverware. Some things don't change after all.

(Courtesy: FC Barcelona)