Germany Bundesliga – Bayern Munich wins German Super Cup

Article by Stephen Lars

Bayern Munich, the Bundesliga defending champion, has added another trophy to its spectacular curriculum after winning the Germany Super Cup this past weekend.

Munich was crowned the champion of the DFB-Supercup after defeating Schalke 04 with a 2-0 in the final.

Bayern Munich opened the game controlling the ball, keeping things under control with fast and direct counterattacks. The Die Bayern were very superior on the pitch, making it clear that they would not let Schalke 04 close to their own defensive area.

Bayern Munich could not open the scoring during the first part, despite the obvious domination showed over its opponents. Bayern looked superior in every moment, even with the absence of major key figures like Arjen Robben, Mark van Bommel and France’s Frank Ribery.

The Schalke 04 had no opportunity to approach the opponent’s goal, which apart from being very well defended by Thomas Kraft, was facing a powerful and impenetrable defensive wall that made it hard for the guys from Schalke to make any dangerous plays.

The Die Roten wanted to overcome the incident in the Total League Cup competition in which Schalke 04 was crowned champion. Shalke stunned Bayern Munich winning with a final score of 3-1. To achieve its goal, the Bayern Munich focused on neutralizing the game strategy of the Royal Blues.

Bayern Munich focused on defending and keeping a close guard on the Schalke 04 striker Raul Gonzalez. The Spaniard failed to pressure his rivals, who guard him effectively and prevented him from showing off and developing his game.

At times Raul was not only double team but even guarded by three and four players at once. He could not complete any goals from either the corner kicks or the chances he had to kick a free throw. Despite this, Raul was the only player of Schalke 04 who had two opportunities to score. Both were headers.

Bayern dominated and controlled its opponent, but without taking too many chances. So the first half ended with a 0-0 score.

For the start of the second half, Schalke 04 tactical scheme sought to change with the incorporation of defender Sergio Escudero. The Spanish 20-year-old, made his debut in German football replacing Peer Kluge.

Escudero was given the difficult task of guarding striker Ivica Olic. The Dutchman gave him a heck of welcome card into the Bundesliga. He dodged Escudero’s guard and quickly escaped him. Olic was key to his team creating well planned and accurate plays in the front.

Bayern Munich increased the pressure and decided to play more aggressively and straightforward. This reaction from Munich opened up many offensive options for them. Schalke 04 on the other hand did a good job defending itself with good counterattacks.

After 75 minutes of play Thomas Muller overcame the opposing defense and opened the scoring with a powerful launch. Just six minutes later, Miroslav Klose scored with no problem the second goal for Bayern Munich.

These last two clashes between Bayern Munich and Schalke 04, give us a taste of what the 2010/11 season will look like between the two largest teams in the German Bundesliga.

About the Author

Stephen Lars has been a prominent writer on regular International Football games, sports news and the sportsbetting industry for many exceptional sports web sites. You may reprint this article in its full content, please note no modifications to it are accepted.