1-3 – BVB lose intense battle for the Supercup

Boris Rupert reports

In an intense, hard-fought game, Bayern took a deserved 1-0 lead into the break after Lewandowski's goal in the 41st minute. BVB did also have their own big chances, however, but Neuer denied both Reus on 20 minutes and Haaland after 39 minutes. BVB had two goals ruled out, with the linesman chalking off strikes from Moukoko on 36 minutes and Haaland on 53 minutes. Instead, Bayern went further ahead when Müller scored their second goal after 50 minutes. Reus reduced the deficit on 64 minutes, making it 1-2. But Lewandowski's goal to make it 1-3 just ten minutes later knocked the stuffing out of BVB.

The scenario: 
No match has been played more frequently in this competition than BVB vs. Bayern. Including the unofficial game in 2008, the two clubs faced each other for the tenth time in this competition. BVB had won five times before, FCB four times. Bayern hold the record for most wins in the competition with nine. BVB have lifted the Supercup seven times – in 1989, 1995, 1996, 2008, 2013, 2014, 2019.

Personnel matters:  
Olympic gold medallist Reinier was available again (on the bench), but Hazard (ankle ligament) joined Brandt (Covid-19), Collins (knee injury), Coulibaly (just back in training), Guerreiro (calf problems), Hummels (patellar tendon pain), Meunier (Covid-19), Morey (severe knee injury), Schmelzer (just back in training) and Zagadou (rehab after knee surgery) on the long list of players unavailable for the game. U23s starlet Marco Pasalic was in the squad for the first time. There was one change for BVB from the squad for the league opener on Saturday against Frankfurt, as Moukoko replaced Hazard.

Tactics:  
The Black and Yellows employed a 4-4-2 diamond formation in an attempt to overrun the Bayern in midfield, who lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation and mostly looked to attack down the left. Dahoud was once again the defensive midfielder, with Reyna and Bellingham in the pivot. Reus operated centrally behind Moukoko and Haaland up front. Munich pressed high up the pitch and Dortmund tried to beat the press, keeping the ball on the ground.

The match & analysis:
With consistent high pressing, the Munich team tried to disrupt the BVB play as soon as they had won the ball and to prevent the subsequent runs in behind from Haaland. This resulted in plenty of intense duels and thus possession of the ball changed hands frequently. Bayern looked most dangerous down the left. Coman's shot over the bar was the first loud warning shot on 15 minutes. Yet the first big chance fell to the Black and Yellows: After neat interplay with Bellingham, Reus cut in and fired a shot from ten yards out from a central position, but Neuer managed to get his right foot to the ball, preventing the opener.

After half an hour, it was a really spicy affair, with intense duels and chances at both ends. Müller saw a shot blocked and Witsel deflected Lewandowski's follow-up over the bar with his back on 34 minutes. Two minutes later, Moukoko put the ball into the net, but from an offside position, so the goal did not count. Then Coman narrowly missed the target from a tight angle on 38 minutes, Haaland saw his shot blocked by Neuer one minute later after a good pass from Akanji, before Lewandowski powered Gnabry's cross from the left wing into the BVB goal on 40 minutes, giving the goalkeeper no chance.

Less than five minutes into the second half, when Davies pushed forward down the left, Lewandowski allowed the cross to go through to Müller, who prodded home to make it 0-2. BVB thought they had gotten straight back into game just three minutes later, but Haaland's goal was ruled out. He had been offside by the narrowest of margins.

Borussia were fighting hard. They were attacking even higher up the pitch. And after just over an hour, they were back in it: after delightful link-up play – Akanji played a diagonal pass to Passlack, who knocked it back to Bellingham, who found Reus with a pass inside – Reus curled the ball into the net from 18 yards out. "Beat the Lederhosen out of the Bavarians," was the chant throughout Signal Iduna Park, which can be turned into a cauldron of atmosphere even with just 25,000 fans inside. The fans celebrated every ball won as if it was a league title.

Ironically, it was Akanji, who had been solid as a rock throughout, who failed to beat the substitute Tolisso during the BVB build-up play, and the ball fell to Lewandowski, who had only Kobel to beat and duly made it 1-3 after 74 minutes. To concede a goal like that in such a good phase was certainly a bitter pill to swallow. Bayern won the first title of the season.

Outlook:
On Matchday 2 of the Bundesliga season, Borussia Dortmund will play host to SC Freiburg on Saturday (15:30 CET).

Team & goals