- Victor Boniface opened the scoring for Leverkusen in the 11th minute
- Patrik Schick’s late goal sent the game to penalties after a 2-2 draw
- Leverkusen won shootout 4-3, clinching their first-ever DFL-Supercup title
Bayer Leverkusen triumphed in their first-ever DFL-Supercup on Saturday night, August 17, edging VfB Stuttgart 4-3 in a dramatic penalty shootout after the teams played out a 2-2 draw in regular time at the BayArena.
In a match that saw Martin Terrier receive a first-half red card, Bayer Leverkusen, the reigning German double champions, triumphed over VfB Stuttgart on penalties to claim the DFL-Supercup at the BayArena on Saturday night.
Leverkusen's plan seemed to unfold perfectly from the start, even with key players Florian Wirtz, Alejandro Grimaldo, and Jeremie Frimpong beginning on the bench. Victor Boniface opened the scoring in the 11th minute.
Aleix Garcia, one of the club’s new additions, delivered a cross that found Edmond Tapsoba at the far post. The defender headed the ball towards the goal line, where Boniface was waiting to tap it in, giving the champions an early lead.
Stuttgart quickly responded, levelling the score just four minutes later through Enzo Millot, who slotted the ball past Lukas Hradecky after a clever pass from Chris Führich.
The match became more challenging for Leverkusen when Martin Terrier was sent off shortly before halftime for a reckless challenge on Stuttgart’s Ermedin Demirovic.
The red card forced Xabi Alonso to bring on Jonathan Tah for Boniface in the 41st minute to cover the defensive gap. Stuttgart capitalised on their numerical advantage in the second half, taking the lead in the 63rd minute thanks to a close-range finish from Denis Undav, set up by Frans Krätzig.
Despite being one man down, Leverkusen continued to fight and was rewarded in the 88th minute when Patrik Schick equalised with a well-taken goal following a pinpoint pass from Alex Grimaldo. With the match tied at 2-2 after 90 minutes, the outcome was decided by a tense penalty shootout.
Leverkusen held their nerve, converting all four of their penalties, while Stuttgart’s Krätzig and Silas Mvumpa missed their efforts, sealing a historic win for Leverkusen.
Reminiscing on the missed opportunities, Stuttgart’s Undav stated, "When you play against 10 men and are leading, you can’t lose. Small mistakes are punished."
This result marks a milestone in the history of the Supercup, being the first time since 1993 that neither Bayern Munich nor Borussia Dortmund participated in the match. With this victory, Leverkusen has made it clear that they are determined to be strong contenders in the upcoming season.
Boniface discusses leading Bayer Leverkusen to another Bundesliga title triumph, pressure, chances
Previously, TheRadar reported that Victor Boniface, who transferred to Bayer Leverkusen last summer from Union Saint-Gilloise, was a pivotal figure in the club’s remarkable Bundesliga title triumph, where they remained unbeaten throughout the campaign.
- The Super Eagles striker spoke about the challenge that was ahead of his team in the new season, remaining unbeaten and defending their golden crown.
