Bayern fielded its strongest squad for the first official match of the new season, featuring Manuel Neuer, Joshua Kimmich, Michael Olise, Luis Diaz, Harry Kane, and new signing Nathaniel Brown, a German national team left-back recruited from Frankfurt for approximately 63 million USD.

Nathaniel Brown (left) celebrates the opening goal in Bayern's 2-1 victory over Dortmund in the German Super Cup at Signal Iduna Park, Dortmund, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany on 22/8. *Photo: FC Bayern*

At Signal Iduna Park on 22/8, both teams gauged each other for the first 10 minutes before Bayern gradually took control of the game. Goalkeeper Gregor Kobel saved shots from Diaz and Kane, but could not prevent Bayern from opening the scoring. In the 28th minute, from a long pass by Kimmich, Olise entered the penalty area and laid it off for Brown to finish into the near corner, leaving Kobel rooted to the spot.

Bayern then squandered numerous opportunities and only doubled their lead in injury time. Capitalizing on a misplaced pass near midfield, Olise sprinted into the penalty area and expertly slotted the ball diagonally into the net.

Michael Olise slots the ball diagonally to make it 2-0. *Photo: FC Bayern*

The game became more balanced in the second half. Dortmund sparked hope by reducing the deficit with a close-range shot from Fabio Silva. However, in the 90th minute, they were at a numerical disadvantage when Ramy Bensebaini received a red card for a dangerous tackle from behind on Ismael Saibari. Dortmund could not find an equalizer in the remaining minutes.

Since defeating Stuttgart 2-1 in the German Super Cup last season, Bayern has scored in 56 consecutive matches, netting a total of 186 goals. Bayern also extended their record for German Super Cup victories to 12, far surpassing second-placed Dortmund, who have won the title 6 times.

On a personal level, Kane secured his 5th title with Bayern, following two Bundesliga championships, one National Cup, and one German Super Cup. After the match, the English striker admitted Bayern made it difficult for themselves by not capitalizing on opportunities to seal the match early. Nevertheless, he was satisfied that the team preserved their slender lead to kick off the season with a trophy.

Harry Kane kisses the German Super Cup trophy. *Photo: FC Bayern*

Captain Manuel Neuer viewed the Super Cup match as an early gauge of Bayern's standing before the new season. The 40-year-old goalkeeper stated that defeating a strong opponent like Dortmund was a positive affirmation, especially since player preparations were disrupted after the 2026 World Cup.

Meanwhile, coach Vincent Kompany highlighted Bayern's ability to maintain their fighting spirit as their most notable aspect. The Belgian coach was also impressed that some players, despite limited training time, could still play the full 90 minutes.

On 28/8, Bayern will return to their home ground, Allianz Arena, to face Stuttgart in the first round of the 2026-2027 Bundesliga season.

Hong Duy