A frantic final stretch: FC Bayern wins the Super Cup in Dortmund! | OneFootball

In the Super Cup on Saturday evening, FC Bayern visited Borussia Dortmund. The first competitive match of the season was played at Signal Iduna Park, where the first title was up for grabs.

Before the game, the last remaining questions were answered. Harry Kane and Michael Olise made the starting lineup, even though they had only returned to training shortly before the game and had completed just a few sessions.

Meanwhile, Lennart Karl, Serge Gnabry, and Jamal Musiala were unavailable for the record champions.

Bayern quickly hit their stride

The match in Dortmund got off to an intense start. BVB pressed high at times, while Bayern had more possession. Both teams still lacked the necessary precision on offense, so there were no noteworthy shots on goal in the opening phase. After 13 minutes, BVB had the first chance, but the offside flag went up; on the counterattack, Aleksandar Pavlovic tested Gregor Kobel for the first time. Bayern began to gain the upper hand after a quarter of an hour and became more aggressive.

When there were shots on goal, they were mostly half-chances. It was clear that both teams were still finding their rhythm. After 28 minutes, Bayern took the lead following a long ball. Michael Olise controlled the ball and laid it off for Nathaniel Brown, who then fired it into the lower right corner—0–1. The double champions kept the pressure on, and Luis Díaz had the next good chance at the 35-minute mark. His shot toward the far corner was saved by Gregor Kobel.

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BVB tried to get into the game through physical play. After a cross from Ryerson, BVB celebrated briefly, but Ramy Bensebaini was offside when he headed the ball into the net. The impressive Brown nearly made it 2–0 on the counterattack, but with a clear shot, he fired the ball wide of the far post. Olise also had a chance to score but didn’t connect properly with the ball. Just before halftime, the goal finally came when Jobe Bellingham played a disastrous misplaced pass; Olise was wide awake, controlled the ball tightly, and slotted it home.

Dortmund pulls one back

Bayern came out of the locker room with the same lineup; Vincent Kompany held off on making any substitutions. BVB grew stronger after the break; Giannis Konstantelias brought some momentum, and Manuel Neuer had to make a save in the 52nd minute, showing excellent reflexes. Dortmund was now enjoying a brief spell of pressure.

In general, Bayern had to focus more on defensive work in the second half. Dortmund had several corner kicks, Bayern’s ability to clear the ball diminished, and BVB won a number of one-on-one duels. What was missing were the big chances. At the 66-minute mark, Kane had a shot, but the ball sailed well over the goal. The game no longer had as many good moments as it did in the first half. A good BVB attack then led to the equalizer in the 74th minute. Konstantelias drew Svensson out of position, and Svensson’s pass into the middle was finished by Fabio Silva.

Bayern nearly responded; Kane curled a shot just wide of the far post—it was a close call. Naturally, things got even more frantic. In the closing minutes, Ismael Saibari was brought on as a substitute and made his competitive debut for Bayern. With 83 minutes on the clock, Pavlovic tried his luck from distance, but Kobel made the save. Olise tested the Swiss goalkeeper again shortly afterward, but he made the save once more.

After a foul on Saibari, Ramy Bensebaini was shown a red card in the 90th minute. The closing stages became frantic. Maximilian Beier missed a great chance with no one around him, while at the other end, Saibari was denied by Kobel. That was also the final play of the game, and Bayern celebrated their first title after a strong first half and a mixed second half.