They knew what was in store, and it was obvious to them that they could only overcome this challenge as a team. After FC Bayern's 3-1 Supercup triumph against Borussia Dortmund, one thing was clear: Niklas Süle and Dayot Upamecano had succeeded in keeping the centre of defence largely tight. On this evening, even Erling Haaland was unable to make an impression.
Strong in 50/50s - Niklas Süle in a battle with BVB forward Erling Haaland.
"Niki and Upa were incredibly stable, very focused. It wasn't easy against BVB's strong attack. That was definitely a step forward for the pair of them. You can't completely keep BVB out, but they also did well on the ball," noted head coach Julian Nagelsmann, satisfied with their performance.
Strong stats
The numbers highlight their dominance: Out of twelve direct 50/50s with Haaland, Upamecano won nine. The 22-year-old also intercepted the ball twice. He and Süle made 58 passes, just behind Alphonso Davies, the best passer on Tuesday night in the team (59). Süle's passes were the most accurate (52 completed).
They are performances that can be built on and will give both self-confidence. For newcomer Upamecano, winning the Supercup was his first trophy with FCB. He couldn't hide his joy: “I hope we win many more titles. We played well, with courage and heart. We want to win every game and we have a great team.” Upamecano is well on the way to getting settled at Säbener Straße.
Süle was equally happy to lift the trophy into the Dortmund night sky late on Tuesday evening. He was and is aware that preparation “is not that easy” and you have to get settled first. His conclusion: “Winning a trophy like this, against these opponents, and away from home, is always something special. We defended very well and played a decent game. The win is deserved. We have our next important game on Sunday, and we want to get three points.”
1. FC Köln visit the Allianz Arena at 17:30 CEST on Matchday 2 of the 2021/22 Bundesliga season.
With two goals and an assist, Robert Lewandowski was the matchwinner in the game against BVB:
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