German Supercup: Bayern edge out Dortmund with late Kimmich winner

Bayern Munich survived a Borussia Dortmund fightback to win the German Supercup in Munich. Joshua Kimmich scored the late winning goal in a five-goal thriller to earn Hansi Flick's side yet more silverware.

Bayern Munich may still be adjusting to life after Thiago Alcantara, but the man who took the No.6 shirt from the Spanish midfield maestro, Joshua Kimmich, was Bayern’s match winner again. It wasn’t a majestic goal like his title-clinching strike in Dortmund in May, but it was enough to secure Bayern their fifth piece of silverware in under five months — even if the merits of the game itself are open to debate.

Bayern’s winning mentality is embodied by the "Rottweiler from Rottweil", the German town from where Kimmich hails. The 25-year-old is often compared to club legend Philipp Lahm, but he is very much his own man.

His aggression and sheer refusal to be beaten is what pushed Bayern over the line here. His mugging of a tired Thomas Delaney was followed by a lung-busting run, exchange of passes with Robert Lewandowski, and scuffed finish after goalkeeper Martin Hitz had denied his initial effort.

It was a vast improvement on Bayern’s shock 4-1 defeat at Hoffenheim on Sunday, but this still wasn’t vintage Bayern. They raced into a 2-0 lead courtesy of a sensational counterattack finished by Corentin Tolisso and a Thomas Müller header, only to let it slip. Bayern looked tired, which is hardly surprising, and the upcoming international break will come at a good time for Hansi Flick and his players.

Dortmund's ray of light

Favre had lost his previous two trips with Dortmund to Munich 4-0 and 5-0, so to only lose 3-2 represents some kind of progress, one could suggest. But despite being without Jadon Sancho, diagnosed as sick and unable to travel to Bavaria, Dortmund were ultimately too easily cut open and unable to control the game in midfield.

There was one ray of hope in the shape of the supremely talented Erling Haaland though. Isolated and frustrated in Augsburg at the weekend, Haaland was a man on a mission in Munich. Dropping deep to join the buildups, the Norwegian saw more of the ball and laid on an assist for Julian Brandt, which got Dortmund back into the contest.

It was after the break that Haaland truly came alive though. Collecting Delaney’s pass, Haaland took a single touch before rifling an early shot beyond Manuel Neuer to make it 2-2. The hulking figure of Dortmund's center forward had the beating of Niklas Süle and Lucas Hernandez at this point, and Dortmund sensed a third if they could get the ball to their lead marksman. They managed it again a few minutes later, but this time Haaland was denied by Neuer from a similar range, with Neuer making a fine stop.

Things could have been different for Dortmund had Thomas Meunier not blazed over a big chance and Favre not withdrawn Haaland to keep him fresh and healthy for the games ahead, but ultimately Kimmich, and his irrepressible will to win, proved the decisive factor.