Bayern Munich 3-2 Borussia Dortmund: 5 talking points as the Bavarians find a late winner to lift their 5th trophy of the calendar year | German Super Cup 2020
A tightly-fought encounter at the Allianz Arena saw Bayern Munich clinch the DFL Super Cup for 2020 over their closest rivals Borussia Dortmund.
Goals by Dortmund attackers Julian Brandt and Erling Haaland were cancelled out by Corentin Tolisso, Thomas Muller and Joshua Kimmich as Bayern lifted their fifth trophy of this calendar year.
Bayern Munich started the game like the champions of Europe - dominant and straightforward. The game was dominated by Alphonso Davies and Kingsley Coman on the left flank as the pace of the duo kept Borussia Dortmund on their toes throughout the opening phase of the game.
The first crack in the wall was duly delivered by Bayern Munich just before the 18th minute. As Borussia Dortmund's entire squad attacked a corner at the Bayern post, a world-class counter-attack was initiated by Davies at the edge of the box which culminated in a three-versus-two situation for the visitors at the back. An unselfish Robert Lewandowski squared in a pass for Corentin Tolisso who took two simultaneous shots on goal, only for the second to go in.
The Bundesliga champions were quick to deal the second blow too. Just 14 minutes after Tolisso's opening goal, Bayern Munich left-back Alphonso Davies found Thomas Muller at the back-post. The German veteran was too strong for Borussia Dortmund newbie Felix Passlack and headed home to double the Bavarians' lead.
Just on the brink of 40 minutes, a mistake by Bayern Munich near their defensive third meant that the front-three of Borussia Dortmund could take their rare chance in the game. Face-to-face with Manuel Neuer in the box, Julian Brandt, who has been recently criticised for his inefficiency in front of goal, silenced his haters with a perfectly weighted shot behind the German number one.
As Bayern Munich won the first half by two goals to one, the second half was a different story altogether. Contrary to everyone's expectations, Borussia Dortmund switched up the gear and totally took the game to Bayern Munich. Their efforts were rewarded as a perfectly slotted pass by Thomas Delaney was finished by Erling Haaland in ruthless fashion in the 55th minute. It was game on.
In what was a half dominated by the Black and Yellow, Bayern Munich ultimately had the last laugh. As the creator of the first goal Thomas Delaney slipped in the centre of the Allianz Arena, Joshua Kimmich was quick to pick up the ball and start the counter-attack. After exchanging passes with Polish goal-machine Robert Lewandowski, Kimmich's shot was saved by Marwin Hitz just for the rebound to strike the Bayern number six's ankle and win the game for the treble-winners.
The game ended with a majority of the senior stars being taken off for this weekend's Bundesliga action. As the young guns of the two top German clubs took to the field, Bayern Munich saw out the game with flair and lifted their fifth trophy of 2020 at their home, the Allianz Arena.
#1 Borussia Dortmund's lack of clinicality inside the box
Despite scoring two goals against the mighty Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund must be really ruing their missed chances after the game. Belgian full-back Thomas Meunier missed a fantastic opportunity in the second half as he blasted his shot over the goal without disturbing Manuel Neuer.
Erling Haaland, who equalised for Dortmund in the second half, also had a beautiful chance when he came one-on-one with Neuer. However, a similar approach like his first goal meant that it was too predictable for the Bayern stopper to make a match-winning block from close range.
There were also a couple more opportunities right at the dying moments of the game which could have been capitalised by the visitors. Lucien Havre's reactions at the touchline summed it up perfectly as Borussia Dortmund lost a game which they could have won 4-3 if they would have taken their chances.
#2 Bayern Munich struggle to build from the back
To be fair, Bayern Munich didn't deserve to win this game. The European champions were nowhere near their best, especially in the second half. A lack of communication between centre-backs Niklas Sule and Lucas Hernandez was evident as they let the Borussia Dortmund attackers slip into their gaps throughout the game.
With David Alaba's Bayern Munich career coming to a prospective end and Jerome Boateng ageing rapidly, the Bundesliga giants really need to find the perfect back-four that can maintain the legacy of their predecessors - especially in the centre.
Bayern Munich tried to build from the back multiple times during the game but were sloppy right into their defensive third. Even Manuel Neuer committed a few errors as he passed the ball into the Dortmund players' feet on numerous occasions. As the golden era of Bayern Munich enters its peak, cracks are starting to appear in the Bavarians' system.