As we approach the opening competitive fixture of the new Bundesliga campaign; the DFB-Supercup, we take a look back at last seasons match between the same two sides who will face off on 5/8/17.
14th August 2016, Signal Iduna Park the destination, the home stadium of Borussia Dortmund. Would that be an advantage? The Bundesliga champions await the DFB-Pokal winners to go head to head. Following Bayern’s league and cup double under former boss Pep Guardiola, Bayern would face Bundesliga runners up Dortmund by proxy. It was to be new manager Carlo Ancelotti first competitive game in charge of the Bavarians. For Thomas Tuchel, he wanted to introduce some of his new recruits into the team and show Bayern that BVB would be competitive this coming season.
Bayern lined up with: Manuel Neuer in goal, a back four of club captain Philipp Lahm, Javi Martínez, new summer signing Mats Hummels from Dortmund and David Alaba. A midfield trio of Arturo Vidal, Xabi Alonso and Thiago with a front three of Thomas Müller, Franck Ribéry and another former Dortmund player Robert Lewandowski.
Dortmund lined up in a 4231 shape with Roman Bürki in goal, a back four of Felix Passlack, Sokratis Papastathopoulos, Marc Bartra and Marcel Schmelzer. Gonzalo Castro and former Bayern man Sebastian Rode in midfield with Adrián Ramos, Shinji Kagawa and Ousmane Dembélé providing the attacking flair. Whilst Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang leading the attacking line. With Rode and Dembele making their debuts and additional new signings Emre Mor, Mario Götze and André Schürrle all anticipating to make their first appearances for the club, except Gotze, who left Dortmund for Bayern, now returned home.
Dortmund started well had the better of Bayern in the early stages, dominating possession and coming close, first Shinji Kagawa and then Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Unfortunately for BVB, neither could convert. Ousmane Dembele looked very promising though, as he used his speed with his ambition to take on opposition players and link up with teammates in the attacking third.
Bayern were lucky not to be reduced to ten men just before the half-hour mark as Franck Ribery’s temper threatened to get the best of him. Following a series of challenges from Passlack, Ribery lashed out with his forearm and caught the young defender on the side of the head. Referee Tobias Welz decided against sending off the Frenchman.
Arturo Vidal had a golden chance to break the deadlock towards the end of the first half, but Dortmund keeper Roman Burki saved his close-range header but the ball landed right back to the Chilean who couldn’t capitalise.
However, the score was finally broken just before the hour mark, with Vidal getting on the score sheet. The goal almost a carbon copy of the earlier chance except for this time Burki’s rebound landed right for Vidal to tuck home. Bayern lead 1-0 against the run of play.
Thomas Muller added a second for Bayern twenty minutes later when he guided Mats Hummels knock-down header off a corner kick into the back of the net. The irony that the former iconic Dortmund defender playing a big part in the goal, football has so many fairy tale stories like this that you simply could not write. His overall performance before the assist was a little shaky, clearly playing at your old stomping ground for your old rivals was testing for the star defender.
If you missed the game and just caught the result it would paint a completely different picture to what actually happened. Dortmund was on the offensive for the majority of the game, they were clearly the aggressor in this tie. Bayern had done what all great teams do and dug in enough to get the result despite not playing all that well.
For Carlo Ancelotti though, this was an important start to his tenure at Bayern. Getting off to a win was always important so his side could keep the momentum rolling following Pep’s success.
For Tuchel though it was promising signs, his side played some very attractive, fluid football and with the experienced heads of Schurle and Gotze in the frame, mixed with the youth of Pulisic and Dembele, things were looking bright.
Bayern continued very much along the same trend throughout the season, winning without playing all that well, whilst Dortmund struggled with inconsistency. That inconsistency mixed with fallings out with the board led to Tuchel and Dortmund parting ways, whilst Bayern enjoyed another Bundesliga title.
Now with Dortmund’s new man at the helm, Peter Bosz, the fans and club are anticipating an attacking style of football with the eye for nurturing the Academy boys. Bosz has made some positive signings over the summer with the likes of Dahoud, Toprak and Philip arriving. These new additions will give BVB that little extra dimension to their play. Bayern have been suffering some heavy defeats recently in pre season and something doesn’t appear to be quite right. Is it the fact that Lahm and Alonso have retired and left huge holes in the squad that simply cannot be filled just yet? Or is there something a little deeper that is affecting the players under Ancelotti’s reign?
The game is set up to be a terrific affair; not only have Bundesliga fans been waiting patiently over the summer for this, but it is a historic fixture and one that both will be desperate to get one over on their rivals so early on in the season.