Bayern Munich vs. Wolfsburg: Winners and Losers from German Super Cup
Wolfsburg and Bayern Munich got competitive action in Germany up and running for the 2015-16 season with the DFL-Supercup, where Wolfsburg emerged triumphant after a penalty shootout.
Both sides missed good chances in the first half before Arjen Robben netted the opener just after the break. It looked comfortable for Bayern at times, but Nicklas Bendtner levelled with one minute to go to force spot-kicks—with a 1-1 scoreline at the end of 90 minutes. Xabi Alonso missed his for Bayern, and Wolfsburg went on to win 5-4.
Here we look at the winners and losers from the game beyond the two clubs as a whole.
Winner: The Bundesliga
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Of course, it's a fantastic achievement for any club to win a trophy, any trophy, so Wolfsburg take the triumph as their own and rightly so.
However, for the league as a whole in Germany, a Wolfsburg win is arguably the best thing that could have happened in terms of interest, insight for the season ahead and wondering whether Bayern would simply go on and dominate again.
Of course, Pep Guardiola's team might well do that anyway—but a rampant win here would have all but confirmed that even before the Bundesliga kicked off. Instead, Die Wolfe showed they could compete, looked the more dangerous side in the first half and eventually took the spoils by whatever means necessary.
It should spur Bayern on to ensure they don't repeat the mistakes they made on the night, and it should also give Wolfsburg—and other teams—the confidence and belief that Bayern can be matched over the season.
Losers: Both Strikers
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Robert Lewandowski might have been a bit frustrated with the lack of service he got inside the penalty area on the night, with most of his work coming from either link-play in deep areas or attacking substandard balls into the area—especially off set pieces.
He was the target for the cross that eventually led to the game's opening goal, but Lewandowski never really got a clear sight of goal himself.
At the other end, Bas Dost didn't show enough movement and had little support for much of the game, yet he still had a superb chance to score the equaliser as he latched onto a long pass to go one-on-one with Manuel Neuer...only to shoot straight at the 'keeper.
With Max Kruse a new signing to bolster the Wolfsburg attack, Dost needs to offer better to keep his place.
Winner: Douglas Costa
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There's more to come from Douglas Costa, and, as the season goes on, there will be more expectation on him to provide end product, but he can be pleased with his Bayern Munich debut performance.
Costa beat right-back Vieirinha twice in succession early on, delivering good balls into the box, but he faded out of the first half for a spell as Die Wolfe looked to get the upper hand.
Costa certainly should have scored when played in by Robert Lewandowski in the first half—he tried to return a pass—and was booked too, but he still showed enough glimpses to suggest his pace and direct dribbling will be a big addition to the Bayern attack this season.
The opening goal of the game was down to all of Costa's best traits: instant control, acceleration into space and a low cross toward the near post.
Loser: Pep Guardiola's Side Not Quite Set Yet?
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Guardiola is known to chop and change his systems, base formations and tactical plans—even within games—so it was no surprise to see an amount of fluidity in his team and for roles to be altered during the course of the German Super Cup.
Even so, there was too often a gap in midfield and a lack of connection play toward the penalty box—and with the league season starting soon, they need to hit the right tone quickly. In addition, there were a few disgruntled faces in red from the players, particularly Thomas Muller and Robert Lewandowski.
Speaking live on BT Sport, Owen Hargreaves voiced his concerns about the atmosphere within Bayern, opining that the players taken off didn't look too happy and that the atmosphere around the team wasn't quite right.
Guardiola will need everybody on board quickly if they are to indeed win a fourth successive league title and, more importantly, challenge for European honours.
Winner: Wolfsburg Impact Subs
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Andre Schurrle looked sharp and impressive with his runs off the left flank after coming on as a second-half sub for Wolfsburg, as he bids for a better campaign this year than last time out after moving from Chelsea in January.
Max Kruse also made a few more inventive runs than Bas Dost managed—but it was Nicklas Bendtner who made the biggest impact of all, coming off the bench to run across the defence and score in the last instances of the game to force penalties.
This, for the Danish striker, comes after he was forced to train alone this summer to improve his fitness, per the Press Association (h/t the Guardian), with manager Dieter Hecking saying he had lagged behind his team-mates and needed to do the extra work to get better.
In the shootout, Schurrle and Kruse both calmly converted—before Bendtner was emphatic with the winning strike into the top corner.
