Fun fair in the Supercup: Bayer and VfB are exaggerating

There has been a lot of discussion about the German Supercup in the past few days. But anyone who wants to deny the relevance of the duel was proven wrong on this heated Saturday evening. Or is there something else behind it?

First, briefly about sport: Bayer 04 Leverkusen won the last title of last season, the DFB Cup, and the first of the new ones. The defending champion of the championship starting next weekend snatches the absurdly emotional and out-of-control Supercup against VfB Stuttgart. After penalties it was 4:3 for the Werkself, after regular time it was 2:2 (1:1). Late in the evening, the Leverkusen team walked through the rain to the hastily constructed podium to raise the trophy into the sky. The Stuttgart team, some of whom no longer wanted to be inside the stadium (but had to), politely applauded the champion. After they had almost clapped somewhere else.

Because this Supercup was memorable. He was the best advertisement. And a big earful for all those fans, especially ultras, who evilly mocked the DFL commercial product (of course it is!) as a fairground cup and absolutely want to see it abolished. What a biting irony, this game had many elements of a sensible hustle and bustle: the frantic music express (the tempo), “hit the luke” moments (the sheer power), the horse race (the drama) and of course fairground boxing.

Terrier gives the terrier

It was a game like always the last time these two teams met. Stuttgart earned great respect for their courageous running and beautiful game. And found himself defeated once again. “Small mistakes are punished against Leverkusen. It really pisses me off that we lost again even though we were leading 2-1,” said an angry Deniz Undav later. For the fourth time in a row there was no win against Leverkusen, although it was possible. What was once FC Bayern against Borussia Dortmund is increasingly becoming Bayer 04 Leverkusen against VfB Stuttgart. A spectacle, a declaration of love for football.

This time, however, it was garnished with an exaggerated pinch of heat that you had to ask yourself at times: Are they actually crazy down there on the lawn? What did they put in their food? Advertising for the hard-hit Supercup is fine, but not just with riots and rebelliousness! After 37 minutes, Bayer's new signing Martin Terrier stepped full pound on Stuttgart's Ermedin Demirovic's ankle. The Frenchman was too precise about the German meaning of his last name. For a moment it looked as if VfB would have to say goodbye to their new man for a longer period of time. But he could carry on, unlike Terrier, who saw red. The very good, until then balanced game suddenly drifted onto the wrong track after a few small quibbles. In the end, referee Tobias Stieler handed out eleven yellow cards and one red one. Has this ever happened before in the Supercup?

Stuttgart hit the aluminum three times before the break

At the time of the actual attack on Demirovic's ankle, the score was 1-1. The incredibly motivated and present Victor Boniface pushed a ball from Edmond Tapsoba over the line after eleven minutes, and four minutes later Enzo Millot equalized with a powerful shot. It went back and forth. The viewer was almost overwhelmed by experiences. A fairground frenzy. A ride on the music express. Always something going on, always excited about what's coming next. For example, Demirovic hitting the post. Stuttgart added two more before the break. Millot again failed at the crossbar and goal line (42'), Patrick Stenzel (45'+2) at the post. Xabi Alonso had long since reacted and brought in transfer controversial Jonathan Tah for Boniface, who didn't find it funny. But the Spanish coach, otherwise the great gentleman, looked for support – in his indignation he sought it in vain. He almost complained about his head and neck – yellow (42nd).

Tah received a warm welcome, even though he actually wanted (or still wants?) to move to FC Bayern. The poker over the central defender recently ended with an absurd misfire from Bayer boss Fernando Carro, who attacked Bayern's sports director Max Eberl. The people of Munich formulated a protest note. But you can't imagine that this is the end. Doesn't matter. Tah came and saved Bayer on the break. The stadium DJ had Whitney Houston sing there. An act of de-escalation? If so, then at least it didn't work in the long term. Perhaps John Lennon's eternally beautiful peace song “Imagine” would have been a much better fit? At the Olympic Games in Paris, the local DJ managed to cool down four angry beach volleyball bitches with this song. She was even able to smile again quickly and forgot her little skirmishes at the net.

As it was, all it took was a spark to make it pop. Granit Now this game was back where it left off at halftime. Right in the middle between riot and spectacle. Stuttgart coach Sebastian Hoeneß made three changes. Deniz Undav came, Frans Krätzig and Silas came on loan from Bayern. Among others, Angelo Stiller, whose composure on the ball was sorely lost to VfB in the final phase, went. The stadium announcer had to briefly sort himself out about the guests' triple substitution before it went wrong. Krätzig crossed perfectly from the left into the middle, Undav scored, 2-1. The party in white was raging. And also the emotions more and more.

There's also a lot going on in the stands

Tapsoba and Demirovic clashed violently before a free kick. The Leverkusen player's hand suddenly found itself on the Stuttgart player's neck. He later says: “I think if we're not on the football field, things will turn out differently here.” Both see yellow. The fight is also raging in the stands. The guests sing: “Without Stuttgart there would be nothing going on here.” The hosts answer: “Without Bayer you wouldn't be here at all.” There is truth in both sentences. From now on, every whistle and every foul will be hyped up into a huge scandal. It continues to be pushed, shoved, and straddled. Stieler lets the cards rain down. Also for the substituted Boniface, who is said to have complained but didn't want to hear anything about it. By the way, football is still being played: Xabi Alonso goes all-in, brings his aces Florian Wirtz, Patrik Schick and Jeremie Frimpong. A little later Alejandro Grimaldo arrives.

Bayer now has even more of its senior team on the pitch than before. And that makes it pop. Stuttgart is almost at the back. Undav's huge chance to make it 3-1 is spectacularly saved by Piero Hincapie. Bayer pushes and presses. After Stuttgart had everything under control at times in the best handball style. And then the last minute giants strike again. Grimaldo plays sensationally well to Schick, who finishes ice-cold (89'). “I'm happy that we haven't forgotten these late comebacks,” said goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky. And his team almost cultivated the madness again early in this season, but Frimpong failed to hit the ball from point-blank range in stoppage time. The horse race wasn't over yet.

Penalties and drama for VfB. One side's choice for the duel was canceled; the goal line technology on the goal line in front of the VfB corner did not work, as a Bayer spokesman said at night. Coach Hoeneß didn't think it was that great. Substitute Krätzig, the man who had prepared the 2-1, was denied by the Bayer keeper wandering around the line (an irritant measure for the shooter, as he later confessed!). Yes, hit Lukas! And the second joker, Silas, forgave. His ball flew high over the goal.

Hoeneß takes on Wirtz

Of course, the excitement wasn't over. As soon as the game was decided, the groups started attacking each other again. There was jostling, pushing and arguing everywhere. Hoeneß took on Wirtz, among others. It was about the inappropriate celebration of a Bayer player. “It's about a situation after the game was decided. Flo had nothing to do with that. It was about another player who thought he had to make us feel like we had lost and made fun of us. There “We had different opinions, but that has been resolved,” said the VfB coach. Apparently Boniface had made a derogatory gesture. It was probably not (just) the prospect of the Supercup that made the players so overheated, but rather the constant struggle for supremacy in this duel, which has been under Bayer's control for a long time.

After the moments of constant attacks, the actors finally drove down. Robert Andrich, who is not unknown for the robust game, later said on Sat.1: “Emotions are part of it to a certain extent. Sometimes it was a bit too much. And when I say that, it means something. But it's just about a trophy .” And now back to sport: The last German team to beat Bayer Leverkusen in a competitive game is still VfL Bochum. On the 34th matchday of the 2022/23 season.