Borussia Dortmund defeated rivals Bayern Munich in convincing fashion, pulling off a 2-0 win in the DFL-Super Cup to kick off their season in perfect fashion.
Two second-half goals from Francisco “Paco” Alcacer and Jadon Sancho were enough to seal the deal for Dortmund, also putting an end to Bayern’s streak of having won the Super Cup three consecutive times in the last few years.
Story of the Match
The game started in thunderous fashion right from the get-go, when Dortmund embarked on a counter-attack in the second minute, but Marco Reus’ shot forced a great save from Manuel Neuer. The veteran goalkeeper almost turned from hero to villain in the 14th minute, when he ran out of his goal, but was lucky enough to see Alcacer’s shot go just wide of the open goal.
The German again came up with a solid save five minutes later to redeem his mistake. Despite the early pressure, Bayern retained total control of possession and had their first chance in the 23rd minute when Kingsley Coman’s shot was saved by Marwin Hitz. The Bavarians missed that killer instinct in the final third and the Frenchman again had an attempt hit the side-netting in the dying moments of the first half.
However, it was the hosts who came out firing in the second half. Thiago Alcantra’s sloppy pass was stolen by Sancho in the 48th minute and after bamboozling a few defenders, he laid the ball for Alcacer to power into the net to give Dortmund the lead. Bayern came firing back for an equalizer but just couldn’t find one.
Leon Goretzka stole the ball in midfield a few minutes later and linked well with Thomas Muller to strike a powerful shot, forcing a solid save from Hitz. The Bavarians received their best opportunity in the 58th minute when Joshua Kimmich’s perfect cross met a weak header from Coman, but Muller’s attempt from the rebound was cleared off the line by Manuel Akanji and later sent out.
However, Dortmund sealed the deal in the 69th minute when a perfect pass from Raphael Guerrero sent Jadon Sancho through on goal, with the 19-year-old slotting past Neuer comfortably. Bayern showed signs of frustration later on, with Kimmich escaping a red card after a stamp on Sancho. Der BVB held onto their lead in the remaining minutes, enduring the Bavarians’ relentless attacking to come out on top in the first test of the new season.
Takeaways from the match
Borussia Dortmund are unstoppable at home
The Signal Iduna Park has earned its reputation for producing some of the most surreal atmospheres during games. The fans love to have fun, watch their side win and rally on der BVB as their12th man. With their supporters' aid, Dortmund seemed an unbreakable unit against an attack-minded Bayern side.
The Bundesliga champions threw the proverbial kitchen sink in, but they did not lose their resolve. Moreover, the hosts' electric counter-attacks, stunning attacking moves helped add a bass to the atmosphere. With the new signings, Dortmund have become even scarier as a ruthless attacking unit and because of their confidence at home, it’ll take a herculean task for anyone to defeat them at the Signal Iduna Park next season.
Bayern Munich need a Leroy Sane
The problem with Bayern Munich on the day was that their final delivery just wasn’t there. Some impressive chances were created with beautiful link-up play, but there wasn’t anyone clinical enough to produce the goods. The Bavarians did go very close at times but lacked that cutting edge.
Leroy Sane can perhaps bring back their attacking fire, not only with his blistering pace but pitch-perfect final-third passes and ability to produce goals in a fast-paced system. The Manchester City winger will take a record fee to sign, but considering how frustrating Bayern seemed going forward, they need Sane to revitalize their attack again.
Both defences need some fixing
Even defensively, Bayern had a real shocker against Dortmund. Jerome Boateng was outpaced and outwitted multiple times, while Niklas Sule couldn’t contain the heat that well. Neuer had to bail them out multiple times, meaning Bayern’s defensive state isn’t as solid as one would think it to be.
Even the hosts, despite keeping a clean-sheet, looked uneasy. They allowed Bayern to get the ball into the box too easily, while also being outwitted many a time with poor positioning and errors in defensive work. There are still some weeks in the transfer window and if both want to solidify their dominance in Bundesliga, they’ll need better defenders as protection.
Stand-out players
Jadon Sancho displayed his might in another astounding performance for Dortmund. He tricked and teased his way through Bayern’s defenders, setting up the first goal with his bamboozling skills and later on scurrying into the box like a bullet to score the second.
Paco Alcacer also amplified his chances of being Der BVB’s primary striker this season, having tormented the Bavarians throughout. Not only was his distribution and link-up play top-notch, but the Spaniard also scored a peach by slicing the ball past a diving Neuer.
Speaking of the Bayern number one, he proved there’s still a lot left in the tank. If not for his sensational stops, things could’ve been very embarrassing for the Bavarians.