The first title of the 2022/23 season goes to FC Bayern. In the Supercup, the German record champion constricts the cup winner in phases. Already at half time the game seems decided, the new superstar Sadio Mané fits in successfully. Excitement comes late.
First Mané-Mania, first title: Six days before the start of the Bundesliga, Bayern Munich and goal debutant Sadio Mané celebrated their first statement victory. On Saturday, the record champions won against DFB Cup winners RB Leipzig in the duel for the Supercup spectacularly and in the end with some tremors 5: 3 (3: 0), although the Munich team actually had the game firmly under control, especially in the first round.
Jamal Musiala (14th), Mane (31st) with his first competitive goal in Bayern dress, Benjamin Pavard (45th), Serge Gnabry (66th) and Leroy Sané (90th 8) shot the Munich team in front of the national coach Hansi Flick on the prestigious success. Marcel Halstenberg (59th), Christopher Nkunku (77th, penalty kick) and Dani Olmo (89th) scored for Leipzig and revealed weaknesses in Bayern.
Even without Robert Lewandowski, who has migrated to FC Barcelona, the Bavarian football machine is running frighteningly well and seems more than ready for the league opening game on Friday (8.30 p.m. / Sat.1, Sky and in the live ticker on ntv.de) at Eintracht Frankfurt. Overall, it was the tenth time that Bayern won the duel between champions and cup winners.
In front of 47,069 spectators in the sold-out Leipzig Arena, Bayern coach Julian Nagelsmann, as previously indicated, relied on Mane, who had been lured to the Isar by FC Liverpool - in the Lewandowski position in front. While the other signings Matthijs de Ligt, Ryan Gravenberch and Noussair Mazraoui were initially on the bench, Mané was roughly cleared away by Leipzig's Kevin Kampl after six minutes.
But even if the hosts bravely faced the champions, despite the hectic initial phase, the latter found their way better over time. It was important to Nagelsmann, he said before the game, even before the league started, to "make a small statement and show your strength" against a competitor. It flashed for the first time when the ball landed after a quarter of an hour as a result of a corner at Musiala, who wobbled briefly and shot into the far corner.
An ideal starting position for Bayern to do what they are so good at: controlling events from a position of strength. At the front, Mané, Musiala, Gnabry and Thomas Müller fluently occupied the spaces and pulled the Leipzig team apart, who themselves did little offensively. So it was easy for Bayern to combine through the ranks.
After a nice pass relay, Gnabry put the ball in from the left and Mané only had to push in from a central position - 2:0. Shortly before the break, Bayern turned up the heat again. Above all, the very strong Musiala, who alluded to a one-two with Müller Pavard in the middle. The Frenchman cheered and RB coach Domenico Tedesco was visibly served on the sidelines.
However, the coach must have found the right words in the dressing room, because RB came out of half-time much more energetically. Substitute Andre Silva (56') headed to the crossbar after a corner from Dominik Szoboszlai before Halstenberg crashed a corner kick from Nkunku three minutes later. But it didn't take long for Bayern to restore the old distance through Gnabry. However, Nkunku and Olmo created tension again before Sané made the final score with a counterattack in the very last minute of added time.
