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Incredible Bayer Leverkusen wins a devastating Supercup
Bayer Leverkusen remains true to itself: The champions and cup winners saved themselves from a penalty shootout in a wild Supercup with a very late goal and won their first title of the season. VfB Stuttgart played in the majority for a long time.
The title hunters from Bayer Leverkusen struck again right at the start of the new season thanks to their feared last-minute qualities. A week before the start of the Bundesliga, the double winner from successful coach Xabi Alonso won 4-3 on penalties against runner-up VfB Stuttgart in the Supercup despite being long outnumbered. After 90 minutes the score was 2:2 (1:1). Thanks to a bit of aluminum luck, Bayer won the title for the first time in its second participation since 1993, despite discussions about the value of the competition.
Bayer striker Victor Boniface opened a thrilling duel (11th). After the equalizer by Enzo Millot (15th), the red card against Leverkusen's new signing Martin Terrier (37th, serious foul), eleven yellow cards and three aluminum goals from VfB, national player Deniz Undav (63rd) made the difference just 47 seconds after being substituted on the Stuttgart tour.
As so often in the previous season, Patrik Schick (88th) managed to equalize late. Bayer scored 32 goals in the double season after the 80th minute. At least at national level, the team is now continuing its unbeaten streak, the last defeat in a competitive game came on matchday 34 of the 2022/23 season (0:3 against VfL Bochum). In the penalty shootout, Leverkusen goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky parried against Frans Krätzig, then Silas shot over the goal. After the game there were several verbal battles on the pitch. “I’m happy that we haven’t forgotten these late comebacks,” said Hradecky on Sky. “Both teams wanted to win, Stuttgart played an outstanding game. Football is fun again.”
A lot of stress in the “fair cup”
Once again, a debate had broken out in advance about the sense or nonsense of the Supercup. Stuttgart coach Sebastian Hoeneß, for example, emphasized that a title was being played and that VfB was taking the game “very seriously”. Some of the organized fans, on the other hand, spoke of a “fair cup” and boycotted the game, among other things because of the overlap with the cup weekend.
As in the three duels in the previous season, none of which VfB was able to win, the two teams played a thrilling game. Initially without Florian Wirtz and Jonathan Tah, who was courted by Bayern Munich, but with the additions of Terrier, Jeanuel Belocian and Aleix Garcia, the Werkself got off to a powerful start.
Boniface refined the stormy start when he pushed the ball over the line from close range. The Stuttgart team, for whom the event in Leverkusen had caused trouble, quickly shook off the early shock. Ermedin Demirovic's header (13th) initially went just over, but Millot completed a remarkable attack to equalize. In the first competitive game since the changes of Serhou Guirassy, Waldemar Anton and Hiroki Ito, VfB appeared more courageous minute by minute. Demirovic's shot off the post (25') was just the beginning.
Bayer in aluminum luck
Things got heated in the final phase of the first round when Terrier Demirovic stepped on his ankle with an open sole. Leverkusen, after the red card with substitute Tah in the defensive line, was now challenged defensively – and was lucky. Millot in the follow-up (42nd) and Pascal Stenzel (45th + 1) from a distance also only hit the aluminum.
For the first time since 2011, the Supercup took place without record winner Bayern Munich, but perhaps the best teams of the previous season still offered a high-class exchange of blows. Bayer only caused danger through a counterattack by Amine Adli (56th), otherwise Stuttgart won the game with the advantage.
Hoeneß also showed a golden touch with Undav's substitution. Only after tough negotiations did VfB agree on a transfer with the parent club Brighton and Hove Albion the previous week; a transfer fee of around 27 million euros was discussed. In a wild final phase, Leverkusen pushed for the equalizer again with substitute Wirtz.
