MUNICH (AP) — Joshua Kimmich scored the winning goal as Bayern Munich shrugged off concerns about fixture congestion to beat Borussia Dortmund 3-2 and lift the German Super Cup on Wednesday.
Dortmund fought back from 2-0 down to level the score, before Kimmich and the two goalkeepers made the difference.
Bayern's Manuel Neuer showed superb reactions to palm away Erling Haaland's shot when one-on-one with the Norwegian striker. Dortmund's stand-in keeper Marwin Hitz could only parry Kimmich's shot back to the midfielder in the 82nd minute and Kimmich stretched to flick in the rebound while falling.
For Bayern it was a morale-boosting recovery after losing 4-1 to Hoffenheim on Sunday to end a 32-game unbeaten run. It also marked the third win in a row against Dortmund.
Bayern has played for five trophies since coach Hansi Flick took charge in November and won them all, but all that success has made for more fixture congestion in the already packed 2020-21 season. The win over Dortmund came just six days after another Super Cup, when Bayern beat Sevilla 2-1 in extra time in UEFA's ceremonial season-opener.
Kimmich's winner was the second Bayern goal on a rebound after Corentin Tolisso was left with a simple finish to open the scoring in the 18th when Hitz pushed his first shot onto the crossbar following a lightning-fast counterattack the length of the field.
Bayern made it 2-0 through Thomas Müller's header in the 32nd after Dortmund backed off Alphonso Davies and gave him time to play a cross perfectly weighted to meet Müller arriving at the far post.
Haaland hauled Dortmund back into the game, setting up Julian Brandt to score in the 39th and then scoring himself in the 55th in a move which began when Manuel Akanji muscled Lewandowski off the ball in the midfield.
Dortmund's Danish midfielder Thomas Delaney played the final pass for Haaland on that move. However, Delaney was later at fault for the winner as he dawdled on the ball and Kimmich dispossessed him.
Neither team fielded a fully first-choice lineup, with Bayern missing the injured Leroy Sané and Leon Goretzka, while David Alaba was an unused substitute with a muscle problem. U.S. defender Chris Richards came on as a 76th-minute substitute for Bayern in his third appearance for the first team.
Lewandowski and Müller were each playing the Super Cup for the 10th time. All of Müller's appearances were for Bayern, while Lewandowski made three for Dortmund earlier in his career. Schalke’s win on penalties over Dortmund in the 2011 game was the last time Bayern didn’t qualify as the league or cup winner.
Dortmund made do without Thorgan Hazard, who is injured, while first-choice goalkeeper Roman Bürki and winger Jadon Sancho were unwell. Both tested negative for coronavirus.
It was the last game before retirement for ,, who in 2017 became the first female referee to oversee men's Bundesliga games.
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