Bayern Munich: Carlo Ancelotti Succeeds Where Pep Guardiola Failed in Supercup

Bayern Munich claimed their first trophy under Carlo Ancelotti on Sunday, downing Borussia Dortmund 2-0 in the DFL-Supercup.

Although viewed by some as more of a preseason friendly than a normal, competitive match, the football on display was of excellent calibre, with both sides deeply committed to their cause. Any meeting of the teams in Germany’s “Klassiker” is a special occasion, and the stakes this time were even higher than usual.

Mats Hummels was keen to make a good impression in his first match since leaving BVB for the Allianz Arena. And on the other side, Thomas Tuchel was keen to show that despite losing Hummels, Ilkay Gundogan and Henrikh Mkhitaryan this summer, his new additions were sufficient to lead Dortmund to success.

The winner on the day, though, was new Bayern manager Ancelotti. In his first competitive match with the Munich giants, he won his first trophy. It was one of the few trophies Pep Guardiola was unable to win during his tenure at the Allianz Arena, and it ended a three-year winless streak in the competition.

The result carries with it a certain historic significance. The last time Bayern won the Supercup was in 2012, in a match that saw them beat Dortmund for the first time in six meetings. Moreover, it came shortly after Bayern had finished runners-up in three competitions, their 5-2 DFB-Pokal defeat to Dortmund being particularly humiliating.

When Bayern won the 2012 Supercup, it was emotionally liberating. Their celebrations were perhaps over the top, given the relative importance of the competition compared to others, but the experience was cathartic. It took a huge weight off the …

continue reading in source www.bleacherreport.com