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DFL-Supercup: Bayern Munich v Borussia Dortmund
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The DFL-Supercup is the annual curtain-raiser on domestic German football, pitting the winner of the Bundesliga against the champions of the DFB-Pokal. This year, the match will play host to two of Germany's biggest rivals; FC Bayern Munich, last year's champions, and Borussia Dortmund, last year's losers in this fixture.
Both sides will hope to start their years with some silverware. Though Bayern have gone with a surprisingly young and inexperienced lineup, more surprise lies with Dortmund. After a poor preseason, Mauro Icardi starts on the bench, and with Munir injured, Kevin Volland has gotten the nod up top. Kevin De Bruyne, signed two days ago, has had to make do with a spot on the bench. Let's take a look at the full lineups:
Borussia Dortmund Team News
Starting XI (4-2-3-1): Weidenfeller (C); Piszczek, Sokratis, Subotic, Durm; Gundogan, Sahin; Bellarabi, Kagawa, Reus; Volland
Substitutes: Areola, Umtiti, Grosskreutz, Ginter, Jojic, Thauvin, Icardi
Bayern Munich Team News
Starting XI (4-1-4-1): Reina; Lahm (C), Boateng, Dante, Bernat; Rode; Muller, Hojbjerg, Gaudino, Ribery; Lewandowski
Substitutes: Zingerle, Rafinha, Robben, Green, Savitskiy, Benatia, Alonso
Borussia Dortmund were undoubtedly the more aggressive side out of the gates. Der BVB dominated possession and were playing most of the game in Bayern's half. Gundogan and Sahin were getting far too much time on the ball and were easily dictating the tempo of play; Hojbjerg and Gaudino simply did not have the experience to deal with their counterparts.
Within ten minutes, Dortmund had won their first corner. Nuri Sahin whipped it into the near post to meet the head of Sokratis Papastathopoulos, only for the Greek's header to strike a leaping Thomas Muller in the back. The bounce fell kindly for
Ilkay Gundogan, however, who had no trouble making it
1-0 to Dortmund from close range.
Thirteen minutes later, Bayern looked to reply. Finally starting to grow into the game, Swiss starlet Xherdan Shaqiri burst down the flank and deftly slipped in Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg. The teenager was outfoxed by Roman Weidenfeller, however, and the goalkeeper smartly denied the onrushing Dane.
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Captain Roman Weidenfeller masterfully conducted his side's defense during the Supercup, ensuring that the usually rampant Bayern Munich could muster just one shot on frame.
The teams went into the break with der BVB ahead, and Shinji Kagawa nearly doubled Dortmund's advantage after the hourmark. Volland, Reus, and the Japanese international engaged in beautiful interplay just outside the Bayern box to slip the latter in on goal, only for Pepe Reina to make an outstanding kick save to keep the game close.
Four minutes later, however, Borussi got their second.
Marco Reus was the main culprit, drawing a foul from Jerome Boateng before swerving the ensuing free kick over the wall and into the top corner, leaving Reina no chance and giving his side a crucial
2-0 lead over Bayern. With the game sealed, the likes of Mauro Icardi and Florian Thauvin were given debuts from the bench in the final twenty minutes, though De Bruyne did not appear.
The final score was 2-0 to Borussia Dortmund, and the final whistle sent the Signal Iduna Park into raptures. This was vengeance for last year's penalty loss in the Supercup, and the side in black and yellow look poised to keep on winning and give their rivals a real run for the Bundesliga this year.
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