Bayern beat Dortmund for German Super Cup

Posted Monday, August 13, 2012 by ESPN

Bayern Munich beat Borussia Dortmund for the first time in six attempts to lift the German Super Cup with a 2-1 win at the Allianz Arena.

Mario Mandzukic and Thomas Muller put the hosts two up within 11 minutes, but Robert Lewandowski pulled one back 15 minutes from time.

Dortmund, the current league and cup holders, were unable to find an equaliser, though, as Bayern picked up the first trophy of the 2012/13 season and became the record German Super Cup winners with this, their fourth triumph.

Bayern had lost their last five games in a row to Dortmund and made it clear straight away that they were not going to tolerate a sixth defeat.

Muller went close with a header early on before Mandzukic put the hosts in front with his first goal since arriving from Wolfsburg in the summer.

Franck Ribery's cross from the left evaded two Dortmund defenders on its way through to Mandzukic, who kept his composure to place a shot into the bottom corner, out of the reach of Dortmund goalkeeper Roman Weidenfeller.

Muller made it two in the 11th minute, benefiting from a rebound off the post after Arjen Robben's lifted shot over Weidenfeller just missed the target, and shooting powerfully into the roof of the net.

Bayern sat on their lead, but Dortmund lacked the invention to cause them any problems, not managing a single shot on goal in the first 45 minutes.

That soon changed in the second half when Lewandowski tested Manuel Neuer with a header which the Germany goalkeeper did well to push behind.

Lewandowski missed an even better chance in the 67th minute after Marco Reus and Mario Gotze combined to set him up, but his weak effort trickled wide of the post.

He made no mistake with his third effort, though, to bring Dortmund back into the game in the 75th minute with a low shot from just outside the penalty area.

Bayern resorted to defending their lead, but a tiring Dortmund side were unable to cause any further problems as the record German champions became the record Super Cup winners.