DFL Supercup: FC Bayern defeats RB Leipzig – Sadio Mané also hits

Spectacle in Leipzig

FC Bayern won the first title of the new season – but the initial show of force turned into a resounding victory. On Saturday evening, the Munich team won the German soccer champions’ duel against the cup winners RB Leipzig in their stadium in front of a sold-out crowd 5: 3 (3: 0). Led by the strong 19-year-old national player Jamal Musiala and the accurate newcomer Sadio Mané, the record champions dominated events for a long time, but came under pressure again in the final phase.

In the 16th participation, the Munich team finally snagged the Supercup for the tenth time. Musiala gave the team of Julian Nagelsmann, who moved from Leipzig to Munich a year ago and who was whistled at by the RB fans before the game, the lead in the 14th minute. It was the first Bayern goal with the first shot in the first competitive game. A good quarter of an hour later, Mané only needed to push Serge Gnabry’s cross over the line (31′), before France’s world champion and defender Benjamin Pavard (45′) made the preliminary decision shortly before the break.

In the second round, RB came into play again with goals from Marcel Halstenberg with a header (59th), Christopher Nkunku with a penalty kick (77th) and Dani Olmo (89th) when Gnabry conceded a goal (66th). Also because Bayern made it unnecessarily exciting. Finally, Leroy Sané put the final point (90 + 8).

Leipzig still has some work to do before the start of the Bundesliga next week in Stuttgart. Already in the test match against Champions League finalist Liverpool FC there was a 0:5 smack, at least the second round reconciled. Maybe national player David Raum will help in the future. According to managing director Oliver Mintzlaff, talks with TSG 1899 Hoffenheim are on the home stretch.

“I’m looking forward to the new Bayer team,” said Nagelsmann, who initially relied on the old top performers. Only Mané, who came from Liverpool, was in the Munich starting XI. The millionaire star defender Matthijs de Ligt, on the other hand, still had to be patient. Nagelsmann said he was not at 100 percent after the brief preparation.

So de Ligt saw a strong game from his new team from the bench. For a long time, the people of Munich were more toxic, more aggressive and more technically adept. With high pressing they caused the hosts big problems. It took just 14 minutes before Munich’s first competitive goal of the new season was scored: after an unsuccessful rescue effort by Leipzig, the ball came to Musiala, who shot in from the inside right. Marcel Halstenberg and Konrad Laimer, who was courted by Bayern, had not cut a good figure before.

The people of Leipzig replied immediately. But the jubilation after Christopher Nkunku’s goal quickly fell silent after an offside decision (15′). RB acted against Bayern without a classic centre-forward. In addition to Nkunku, idea generator Emil Forsberg stormed. However, the game mainly went in the other direction, and the master presented himself with high efficiency. After a cross from Gnabry, Mané was there where super scorer Robert Lewandowski had always cheered Bayern fans in recent years. The joy was great for Africa’s footballer of the year, who raised his arms, jumped and hugged his teammates.

And it got even worse for Leipzig, whose mistakes were punished coldly. The playful Musiala danced out the RB defense and gave Pavard the third goal. Sports director Hasan Salihamidzic, who sat next to CEO Oliver Kahn in the stands, liked that. It is the right time to take such a step, also to have a different perspective.

And this did not change in the second round either. Musiala repeatedly initiated dangerous actions. Gnabry immediately had a great chance of scoring the fourth goal (51st). RB coach Domenico Tedesco reacted with two quick changes and brought the Spaniard Dani Olmo and striker André Silva into play. The latter was unlucky when his header hit the crossbar (57′). Shortly thereafter, however, the efforts were rewarded by Halstenberg’s goal when national keeper Manuel Neuer acted unhappily.

There was hope, but only briefly at first. RB keeper Peter Gulacsi was able to fend off a shot from Thomas Müller, but Gnabry shot the ball into the net when he followed up. When Bayern had shifted down a gear, RB still scored two more goals through Nkunku and Olmo. After that, the Munich team, where de Ligt received some match practice, even had to tremble. The game was decided with Sané’s goal.

To home page