FCB 'still have some room for improvement' after Supercup win

With two weeks to go until the start of the Bundesliga season, champions FC Bayern have sent out a clear signal. After a comfortable and “highly deserved” (Niko Kovac) 5-0 win in the DFL-Supercup at Eintracht Frankfurt, the Munich men showed that they are once again the team to beat in Germany in 2018/19.

“I hope the title strengthens us further going forward,” said Kovac after his victorious return to his former club. “The title means a lot to the club and to us Germany internationals after the setbacks from mid-April onwards,” added Mats Hummels. “We invested a lot in it because we wanted to start the season positively. We wanted to win the first competitive fixture of the season and lift the trophy, so we can be pleased.”

The match-winner at the sold-out Commerzbank-Arena was Robert Lewandowski, whose hat-trick put the Reds out of sight. “I’m pleased for him. He’s a world-class striker and he proved that again today,” praised Kovac. Substitute Kingsley Coman (64’) and Thiago (85’) added the fourth and fifth goals and sealed Bayern’s third successive Supercup win.

Alaba injury dampens joy

“We played really well over 90 minutes and scored the goals at the right times,” analysed Kovac. “In the first half we just had to keep our shape and then break forward quickly. In the second period we moved the ball around well.” Summer signing Leon Goretzka, who made his competitive debut for Bayern as a second-half substitute, had a similar view: “The scoreline reflects our dominance in the game. We saw it out confidently.”

“We’d worked on a lot of things and we brought them onto the pitch. We were all highly motivated and we’re really pleased that a lot of things came off. That’s good for our confidence,” highlighted captain Manuel Neuer, who made his first competitive appearance for the side in almost exactly 11 months. “We wanted to lay down a marker and we’ve done that. There are lots of positives we can take from the game,” added Thomas Müller.

The only downer was the injury to David Alaba, who was forced off in the closing stages of the match. The left-back suffered a bruise in his left knee joint, but thankfully no ligament damage. All in all, Kovac was pleased with how his first competitive game as Bayern boss went: “We still have some room for improvement. With this result we can go into the coming weeks feeling positive.”