Year in, year out, the DFL Supercup kicks off the new season, and this Saturday sees the latest edition, with FC Bayern hosting cup holders RB Leipzig at the Allianz Arena at 20:45 CEST. While it's the Saxons' second appearance after last year's premiere, the record champions have been involved in 16 of the 23 previous editions and have walked away with the trophy ten times. On the occasion of the upcoming clash, fcbayern.com delves into the past and looks back at the German record champions' four most memorable Supercup triumphs.
First victory against HSV
FC Bayern 2-1 Hamburger SV (28 July 1987 in Frankfurt)
Unforgettable to this day: the altercation between HSV keeper Uli Stein and Bayern's Jürgen Wegmann.
The first official edition of the German Supercup (then known as the DFB Supercup) took place on 28 July 1987 between the reigning champions from Munich and the DFB Cup winners Hamburger SV. The venue was the Waldstadion in Frankfurt, where the North Germans got off to the better start in the first half. Six minutes before the break, it was HSV striker Miroslav Okoński who gave his team the lead. However, Bayern showed their mettle and fought their way back in the second half. The spotlight was firmly on Jürgen Wegmann, who scored both goals in the 2-1 victory, but also had to take a bit of a battering in the process. The centre-forward got an elbow in the face from HSV defender Dietmar Beiersdorfer while scoring the equaliser, and it was followed by a fist from Hamburg keeper Uli Stein after the winning goal in the 87th minute. The goalkeeper was shown the red card shortly afterwards, and Wegmann's Bayern secured the first of ten Supercups in the club's history to date.
Ulreich the penalty hero
Borussia Dortmund 2-2 FC Bayern (4-5 pens) (5 August 2017 in Dortmund)
Match-winner: Sven Ulreich ensured FCB's Supercup success in 2017 with his saves in the penalty shootout.
It's the German Klassiker - and not only in the Bundesliga. Whenever Bayern meet BVB, thrills are guaranteed. The Supercup has never been contested by the same two teams more often; nine of the 23 clashes in this competition have been between the two top sides. This was also the case in 2017, when the men from Munich played at Signal Iduna Park. Dortmund got off to the better start in the match, taking the lead after just 12 minutes through a goal from Christian Pulisic. Although the Reds replied just six minutes later with a strike from Robert Lewandowski, Borussia struck back in the second half in the shape of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. It took until shortly before the end of the game for Bayern to equalise again, thanks to an own goal from BVB keeper Roman Bürki under pressure from Joshua Kimmich. That sent the game into extra time and, following another 30 minutes of scoreless play, it all came down to spot kicks. In the shootout, Sven Ulreich was the hero, securing the Supercup victory for FCB with two saves.
Revenge is sweet
Eintracht Frankfurt 0-5 FC Bayern (12 August 2018 in Frankfurt)
A perfect start: Bayern gave SGE no chance at the start of the new season, taking revenge for the defeat in the cup final.
The Munich side gave a true demonstration of their own might in their seventh Supercup victory in 2018. The opponents were cup holders Eintracht Frankfurt, who had inflicted a painful 3-1 defeat on the Reds in the DFB Cup final the previous season. In contrast to that game in May, FCB showed a different side under the then new head coach Niko Kovač, who had previously coached Eintracht. From the start, the champions pressed Frankfurt deep in their own half and were rewarded by going in at the break with a 2-0 lead thanks to a Lewandowski brace. Bayern's dominance didn't change in the second half either: Lewandowski completed his hat-trick and Kingsley Coman and Thiago both scored to make it the highest Supercup win in history.
Goals galore in Leipzig
RB Leipzig 3-5 FC Bayern (30 July 2022 in Leipzig)
There it is! Last season, Bayern secured their third Supercup triumph in a row thanks to a 5-3 victory over RB Leipzig.
The fans were treated to the highest-scoring Supercup so far last season in the clash between FC Bayern and RB Leipzig. In front of 47,000 spectators in Leipzig, Bayern flexed their muscles, especially in the first half. Jamal Musiala, Sadio Mané and Benjamin Pavard all scored to give Bayern a comfortable 3-0 lead at the break. But the Saxons refused to give up and even fought their way back to 4-3 in the second half after trailing 4-1. In the end, however, the champions would not be denied the tenth Supercup in the club's history, thanks in part to Leroy Sané's stunning goal make the final score 5-3.
And 2023? The 2023/24 campaign will kick off with a repeat of last year's final, but at the Allianz Arena this year. Whether the Bayern fans will see a similarly high-scoring match as last season will be revealed on Saturday evening.
FCB won the dress rehearsal for the Supercup against AS Monaco on Monday:
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