On Thursday, FC Bayern will contest the 2020 UEFA Super Cup against Sevilla, giving the German record champions the chance to top off an outstanding international season with yet more silverware. fcbayern.com has put together some interesting facts and figures for you ahead of the clash with the Andalusians.
1. Record speaks for Champions League winners
If the statistics are to be believed, FC Bayern go into the game as favourites. For example, in six out of the last seven Super Cup clashes, the Champions League winners have beaten the Europa League holders. Since the inception of the Europa League in 2009, only Atletico Madrid, as the supposed underdogs, have triumphed over the champions of Europe - and they did it three times (2010, 2012, 2018). Nevertheless, the record of seven successes speaks clearly for the Champions League winners.
2. Who will lift the Super Cup for the second time in the club's history?
After 1975, 1976, 2001 and 2013, FC Bayern are about to participate in the UEFA Super Cup for the fifth time. In 2013, the Bavarians brought the trophy home to Munich for the first and so far only time following a dramatic penalty shootout against Chelsea. Sevilla will make their sixth appearance in the final - one more than the German record champions. However, the Spaniards have also only won the trophy once before (2006).
3. Possible serial winners
As many as six FC Bayern players will have the chance to lift the UEFA Super Cup for the second time on Thursday. In addition to the treble winners of 2013 - Manuel Neuer, Thomas Müller, Jérôme Boateng, David Alaba and Javi Martínez - Lucas Hernández has already celebrated winning the trophy. In 2018, the France international came out on top while playing for Atletico in their derby against rivals Real Madrid. In the Sevilla ranks, veteran Jesus Navas also has the opportunity to lift the cup for the second time. The 34-year-old, who played for Manchester City between 2013 and 2017, was in the 2006 Sevilla team who were surprise 3-0 winners against Barcelona, and played the full 90 minutes.
4. Dramatic game on the cards
The UEFA Super Cup has always been an exciting fixture in recent years. Four of the last five final clashes went into extra-time. Last year, Liverpool won 5-4 on penalties against Chelsea.
5. FCB have dominated Spanish teams on neutral ground
For the fourth time in total, the Bavarians face a team from Spain on neutral ground. In addition to their success in the final of the 1974 European Cup against Atletico Madrid, which the men from Munich rounded off with a 4-0 win in a replay at Brussels' Heysel Stadium, and their dramatic 5-4 win on penalties over Valencia in the 2001 Champions League final at the San Siro in Milan, football fans around the world are especially likely to remember the last clash between Hansi Flick's team and a Spanish outfit. In the Champions League quarter-final just over a month ago, Bayern became the first team to score eight goals in a knockout match in the competition as they beat Barcelona 8-2.
FCB's last clash with a Spanish team, the 8-2 victory over Barcelona, was one of historic proportions.
6. Bayern all-powerful on the road
The German record champions remain unbeaten in their last 16 Champions League matches played away from the Allianz Arena. The stats are impressive: 13 wins, 3 draws and a tally of 49 goals - an average of three per game.
7. Both teams on impressive runs
The Bundesliga champions kicked off the new season last Friday with an incredible 8-0 win over FC Schalke 04. It was the Munich team's 22nd consecutive victory in all competitions and made it 31 games without defeat. But Sevilla, too, have not come off the pitch as losers for some time now. Julen Lopetegui's team remain unbeaten in their last 21 competitive matches.
Sevilla secured a top-four finish in La Liga last season - in our detailed opposition profile we take a close look at the Andalusians:
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