Observations from Bayern Munich’s 2-1 victory over Borussia Dortmund

Bayern Munich edged previous Borussia Dortmund 2-1 to win the Franz Beckenbauer Supercup on the again of objectives from Nathaniel Brown and Michael Olise, though Fábio Silva scored to scale back the arrears late on. Listed below are some observations from Bayern’s first aggressive match of the season:

Although it’s pure as a Bayern fan to leap into the season with glee and absolutely anticipate the great soccer the Bavarians performed final season after such a protracted summer time break, it takes time for the staff to shake off the rust, obtain full match health once more and rediscover the mechanisms constructed over the course of the season. It’s not all going to come back again within the very first recreation. This was very a lot evident in an imperfect show from each Beckenbauer Supercup finalists. And but…

Bayern outclassed Dortmund in first half

Someway, the venue of the Supercup was set to be the Sign Iduna Park, Dortmund’s dwelling stadium, turning this match right into a Dortmund dwelling recreation and an opportunity for final season’s Bundesliga runner ups to ship a sign to the remainder of the Bundesliga: This Bayern staff could be crushed. Armed with a number of intriguing new faces and their 80,000+ followers behind them, Dortmund got down to make some extent.

The primary 45 minutes noticed them make the fallacious one, although.

Dortmund didn’t register a single shot on track as Bayern scored twice and will have had extra objectives. The house staff confirmed too little initiative, as a substitute permitting the Bavarians to camp out of their half and set their purpose beneath siege. Bayern could have lined up with a makeshift answer on the #10 place in Brown as a result of Lennart Karl, Serge Gnabry and Jamal Musiala have been unavailable for the sport (and Ismael Saibari was presumably not match to play the whole 90 minutes), however Dortmund couldn’t use that to their benefit.

In the meantime Bayern have been nonetheless combating their rust, Brown scored a purpose, confirmed quite a lot of promise however put in an finally inconsistent efficiency whereas Michael Olise and Harry Kane confirmed that this was their first begin because the World Cup. However they nonetheless registered 11 pictures, created many possibilities and regarded a number of ranges above their rivals. The purpose from Olise simply earlier than half time was presupposed to sign a snug finish to the match for the Bavarians.

However Dortmund grew within the second half

One can assume Niko Kovač gave his staff the hairdryer remedy throughout half time, as a result of they put stress on Bayern from the off. It was removed from good and, too typically, their assaults ended with poor technical execution. However they made Bayern sweat extra within the opening interval of the second half than they did within the first half. They usually by no means actually went away.

Whereas Bayern visibly took their foot off the fuel, Dortmund stayed within the match regardless of the deficit, at all times working to attempt to lower the hole. Each groups exchanged big possibilities earlier than Dortmund lastly bought their purpose within the seventy fifth minute by Silva’s purpose. Bayern will likely be pissed off, having had probability after probability to place the sport to mattress beforehand. Olise, regardless of his purpose, was particularly culpable of losing some good openings.

This season will likely be just like final season

Although it was an up and down match and each groups have been combating the rust, it was clear Bayern have been doing lots of the similar issues they did final season. Most, if not all, of the strengths of final season have been very obvious: The automatisms, the patterns of play, the outrageous technical high quality, the management on the ball from midfield, the excessive line, Kane’s raking lengthy passes, it was all there.

Sadly, the identical points appear to exist as effectively. Bayern didn’t calm the sport down as soon as Dortmund bought a foothold once more and misplaced the ball in foolish methods. Joshua Kimmich and Manuel Neuer have been particularly at fault for that. The staff additionally skilled lapses in focus, Dortmund’s f0rwards discovered an excessive amount of area too typically behind Bayern’s full backs and a scarcity of midfield cowl to assist out compounded all of it. It was nothing horrible and Bayern nonetheless emerged with the win, however on one other day this type of defensive efficiency may have been dangerous.

The 2025/26 season was the Bavarians’ most profitable season in six years. And it is very important seize all of the strengths of the final season once more. But a repeat is not going to be deemed adequate. The task for Bayern this season is to construct on what got here earlier than. This efficiency didn’t appear so as to add an excessive amount of, however the season continues to be so younger. For now, it is sufficient to have a good time a hard-earned victory over a rival.