The German Supercup between double winners Leverkusen and runners-up Stuttgart comes down to a penalty shoot-out. Granit Xhaka's team hold their nerve.
The last-minute heroes from Leverkusen strike again this season. Patrik Schick, who had already saved the German champions several times in the final minutes last season, struck late again in the Super Cup and saved Granit Xhaka's team against Stuttgart with his 88th-minute goal in the penalty shoot-out, which the champions ultimately won 4:3.
Bitter for Stuttgart (without Stergiou and Rieder), who were outnumbered for more than a half after Martin Terrier was sent off in the 37th minute. VfB were able to turn the game around after an early Boniface goal thanks to goals from Millot and Undav, but had to concede an equalizer shortly before the end.
In the penalty shoot-out, Krätzig and Silas failed to hold their nerve for VfB, while all of Leverkusen's penalty takers scored. The German champions, who only lost a single competitive match last season, started the new season with their first win and title.
No surprises in the DFB Cup
The favorites from the Bundesliga also held their own in the DFB Cup on Saturday. Borussia Dortmund reached the second round in the evening with a 4:1 win over regional league side Phoenix Lübeck in Hamburg. Promoted Holstein Kiel had much more trouble in their 3-2 win at third-division side Alemannia Aachen, but progressed thanks to late goals.
RB Leipzig won 4:1 at third-division club Rot-Weiss Essen, while SC Freiburg won 4:0 at third-division club VfL Osnabrück. 1. FC Heidenheim won 4:0 at regional league side FC Villingen, while Gerardo Seoane's Borussia Mönchengladbach won 3:1 at third-division side Erzgebirge Aue. 1. FC Union came away with a 1-0 win at regional league side Greifswalder FC.
A second division team fails
One of the 2nd division cup starters bowed out on Saturday: Hannover 96 lost 2-0 at third-division side Arminia Bielefeld, while 1. FC Kaiserslautern, last season's finalists, won 2-1 (2-0) at third-division side FC Ingolstadt. SpVgg Greuther Fürth won 2:0 at Oberliga side Schott Mainz. FC Schalke 04 won 2:0 at Oberliga club VfR Aalen.
New signing Waldemar Anton (3rd), Emre Can (31st / penalty) and Julian Brandt (45th +1) scored for BVB in the first half. Dortmund's defense put up surprisingly little resistance when Obina Iloka (55') conceded, before substitute Julien Duranville (62') scored again for Dortmund.
