Same again, Xabi? Alonso's Leverkusen look team to beat despite Bayern's busy summer

Patrik Schick, again.

- Andy Brassell

The DFL Super Cup rarely provides any pointers for the forthcoming Bundesliga season, but what this year's curtain-raiser seemed to indicate is that maybe last season is still happening. The match-up between Bayer Leverkusen and Stuttgart - last season's top two, with the former having won both league and DFB Pokal - was a reminder of an extraordinary 2023-24 campaign, as was the bristling intensity of Saturday night's fixture, uncommon for such a nominal showpiece.

And the manner was everything. Even though it took a penalty shootout for Leverkusen to lift the fifth major trophy of the club's 120-year history (and the third in the last four months under Xabi Alonso), the way in which Die Werkself got there suggested that we are probably not looking at a one-hit-wonder. They played all but the first 37 minutes against Stuttgart with 10 men at the BayArena - debutant Martin Terrier was sent off for an ill-considered, studs-up lunge - and trailed midway through the second half when Deniz Undav gave the visitors the lead with his first touch.

Yet there was no hint of panic, no launching it in the mixer. Leverkusen passed their way around their opponents looking for an opening, even with time running out, until Schick coolly sidefooted in after a dazzling move with little more than a minute to go in normal time. It was stirring stuff, and a reminder that Leverkusen are the team to beat. They never are beaten by German teams these days, their only defeat in 53 games last season coming to Serie A's Atalanta in the Europa League final.