Bayer Leverkusen lifts the German Super Cup

Leverkusen.Bayer Leverkusen, led by Spaniard Xabi Alonso, maintained their good form at the start of the season by beating Stuttgart 4-3 on penalties (5-6 on aggregate) to win the German Super Cup.

Patrik Schick’s 88th-minute goal allowed the Bundesliga and German Cup champions to avoid defeat in the last 16 against a surprise Stuttgart side and sent the game to penalties at Leverkusen’s BayArena, where fortune smiled on the hosts.

Victor Boniface had put Leverkusen ahead in the 11th minute, but things got complicated for the favourites shortly afterwards. First Enzo Millot equalised in the 15th minute and then Martin Terrier was sent off in the 37th after a heavy challenge.

That left Leverkusen wounded going into the second half, in which Stuttgart seemed to take a giant step towards the trophy by taking the lead thanks to Deniz Undav (63).

The visitors held on to that lead until Schick’s late goal in the 88th minute, assisted by Spaniard Alejandro Grimaldo.

Leverkusen scored from all their attempts in the penalty shoot-out. Stuttgart missed two goals, Frans Krätzig and Silas Mvumpa, to allow Xabi Alonso’s men to celebrate their first title of the new season.

“It was incredible what we did in the last ten or fifteen minutes, with one less player, to get the equaliser. I’m happy with how we’ve started the season. We’re still keeping that attitude,” said the Basque coach.

Good omen

This is the first time that Bayer Leverkusen have been crowned German super champions. They have only previously managed to compete in this tournament, which traditionally pits the Bundesliga and Cup winners of the previous season, once, losing in 1993 to Werder Bremen on penalties.

That edition 31 years ago was the last German Super Cup to be played without Bayern Munich or Borussia Dortmund, if not both, being present at the match.

Last season, Bayer Leverkusen were far superior in German football and ended the hegemony of Bayern Munich, who had won the previous eleven editions of the German championship.

Leverkusen completed the Bundesliga-Cup double. Stuttgart was therefore not competing in this Super Cup as the winner of one of the two tournaments, but as the runners-up of last season’s league.

Xabi Alonso, who decided to stay at the club despite interest from several of the continent’s big clubs, continues to add to his list of achievements, having made Leverkusen champions of Germany for the first time in their history.

The tally could have been higher had Bayer Leverkusen not lost the Europa League final last May to Italian side Atalanta, their only blemish on a spectacular 2023-24 season.