It’s the first competitive match of the 2015/16 season, and there’s a trophy at stake too: champions FC Bayern travel to face DFB Cup winners VfL Wolfsburg on Saturday evening in the German Supercup. fcbayern.de reviews the facts, stats and stories behind the fixture:
The Supercup... will be contested for the 15th time on Saturday. The match was an official fixture from 1987 until 1996, and was restored to the calendar in 2010. The reigning champions have claimed the trophy nine times, the cup winners or Bundesliga runners-up on six occasions. The champions have been beaten for four years in a row now.
The most appearances in the Supercup... is a record held by FC Bayern, as Munich will compete for the title for the ninth time this season. VfL Wolfsburg are making their Supercup debut and are the 12th different club to feature in the game.
Four out of eight... is FC Bayern’s win record in the Supercup. FCB won the trophy in 1987, 1990, 2010 and 2012, and if they prevail against the Wolves, would draw level with the competition’s most successful club, Dortmund on five wins. Werder Bremen are the third-best team in the cup’s history with three wins.
The top scorer... in the Supercup is former Bremen striker Wynton Rufer. The New Zealander scored four times in the fixture, and is followed in the ranking by Jürgen Wegmann with his two goals for Bayern and one for Dortmund. Thomas Müller and Arjen Robben have each scored twice.
Goals... are all but guaranteed, The 15 Supercup clashes to date have produced 49 goals, an average of 3.3 per match.
The cup is 53 cm tall and weighs 6 kg... and features one silver and one gold arm, referencing the championship shield and the DFB Cup. The trophy became a challenge cup (kept by the winners until the next running of the fixture) in 2010. It has a nominal insurance value of €40,000.
Goal-line technology... will be used in the Supercup for the first time this year. The system made its German debut in the DFB Cup final in Berlin on 30 May 2015. It is obligatory for all Bundesliga matches as of this season.
The duration of the game... is 90 minutes. There is no extra-time, so in the event of a draw the match goes straight to penalties.
30,000 fans... will fill Wolfsburg’s VOLKSWAGEN Arena on Saturday, meaning every Supercup since the relaunch in 2010 has been a sell-out.
Bayern’s record in 40 meetings with Wolfsburg... reads 30 wins, six draws and four defeats, with Munich scoring at least once in the last 15 clashes. It is an excellent record, although all four FCB defeats were away from home, most recently in the 4-1 league loss in January this year.
