Dominant Bayern beat Stuttgart to seal Supercup

FC Bayern beat VfB Stuttgart 2-1 to win the first competitive fixture of the season and clinch silverware on Saturday night. Munich turned in a strong display in the Franz Beckenbauer Supercup, with Harry Kane handing them an early lead. Luis Díaz doubled the advantage with a quarter-hour to go and Jamie Leweling’s goal in added time was only a consolation for Stuttgart.

Bayern lined up with Manuel in goal and Konrad Laimer, Dayot Upamecano, Jonathan Tah and Josip Stanišić in defence. Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka anchored a midfield featuring Michael Olise, Serge Gnabry and Díaz, with Kane up front. Sacha Boey, Minjae Kim, Raphaël Guerreiro, Tom Bischof and Lennart Karl took over from Laimer, Upamecano, Gnabry, Goretzka and Olise late in the second half.

Chances galore, but only Kane on target

Bayern hit the ground running and Stuttgart soon cleared the ball only as far as Goretzka, who fired just wide. He had his next chance when Kimmich’s sublime pass found him in the box, but the 30-year-old hit the side-netting. It was all Bayern and further chances came and went for Olise and Gnabry, but Munich took the lead when Kane got hold of the ball after a failed clearance and clinically blasted into the bottom left corner of the net.

Stuttgart went looking for an answer and Neuer denied Josha Vagnoman and Nick Woltemade, with Laimer aiming too high at the other end. The home side were more solid now, but Bayern were still dominant and Goretzka miscued a header before Olise headed just over. Stuttgart’s Deniz Undav put another header wide and Bayern were one up at half-time.

Díaz seals it

It was a more balanced affair after the restart. An Undav free-kick sailed over before Gnabry and Olise saw shots blocked. Díaz blocked against Atakan Karazor before Kane saw an effort saved. Olise fired wide and Ermedin Demirović headed over, with Neuer making a sublime save to keep out a deflected Leweling effort.

Bayern twisted the knife when Gnabry’s cross found Díaz, who headed in to double the lead. Vincent Kompany’s men ran down the clock now, with Stuttgart finding no way through until added time. Undav fired wide before the Swabians pulled one back, Leweling getting ahead of Boey to head past Neuer, but Bayern went on to claim the first title of the season.

The Bavarians will be back in action on Friday when they take on RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga opener.