Javi Martinez scored the winner in extra time to give Bayern Munich a 2-1 victory over Sevilla in the UEFA Super Cup in Budapest on Thursday.
BAYERN 2-1 SEVILLA
Goals: 0-1 Ocampos (pen. 13′), 1-1 Goretzka (34′), 2-1 Martinez (104′)
Not content with winning the treble last season, Bayern began as fiercely as ever against the Europa League winners, pressing aggressively in a bid to lay down an early marker.
However, despite that early dominance in terms of possession and territory, it was Sevilla who edged ahead when Lucas Ocampos scored from the penalty spot after David Alaba had bundled over Ivan Raktic.
Undeterred, Bayern stuck to their game plan and levelled the score just after the half-hour mark when Leon Goretzka coolly stroked in the equaliser from Robert Lewandowski’s cushioned assist.
Luuk de Jong had the ball in the net at the other end almost immediately, but it was rightly ruled out for offside as the team went into the break on level terms.
Hansi Flick’s side began the second period determined to change that, and both Lewandowski and Leroy Sane had efforts disallowed as they started to turn the screw.
Yet although Bayern remained dominant and created more chances, with Thomas Müller shooting straight at goalkeeper Yassine Bono and Niklas Süle seeing a header cleared off the line, Sevilla remained dangerous on the counter-attack.
Indeed, they probably should have won the match in the 87th minute when Youssef El-Nesyri was sent clean through, but Manuel Neuer produced a superb save – one of a handful throughout the game – to keep Bayern in it.
The Bundesliga champions looked more likely to win as extra time progressed, and they got their reward late on thanks to Martinez’s powerful header following a corner, sealing a fourth title in the space of the last three months.
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