Bayern lift Super Cup in penalty shoot-out win over Chelsea
PRAGUE, Czech Republic (AFP) — Bayern Munich avenged their 2012 Champions League final defeat with a 5-4 penalty shoot-out win over ten-man Chelsea after yesterday’s UEFA Super Cup final finished 2-2 after extra-time.
Bayern’s Javi Martinez produced a dramatic 121st-minute equaliser to take the game to penalties and when Chelsea replacement Romelu Lukaku missed the 10th spot-kick after the previous successful nine, the Bavarians lifted the cup at the fourth attempt.
Spain’s Fernando Torres’ early strike had been cancelled out by Franck Ribery’s second-half thunderbolt while Chelsea’s Ramires was dismissed in the 85th minute as it finished 1-1 after 90 minutes at Prague’s Eden Arena.
Chelsea Belgian left winger Eden Hazard looked to have hit an extra-time winner for Jose Mourinho’s Europa League winners, but Pep Guardiola-coached Bayern bombarded the Blues’ goal in the dying stages before Martinez struck before the final whistle.
Victory was especially sweet for Guardiola, who took charge of Bayern in June, following 14 titles in four years at Barcelona, against his former La Liga rival, Mourinho, back in his second stint at Chelsea having left Real Madrid the same month.
Bayern’s Germany star Bastian Schweinsteiger was missing with sprained ankle ligaments, while Ribery — who was named European player of the year in Monaco on Thursday — started on the left wing.
Guardiola moved Germany captain Philipp Lahm from right-back to fill Schweinsteiger’s defensive midfield role for the first-half, before Martinez took over in the second half with Lahm dropping back onto the flank.
Mourinho started Brazil centre-back David Luiz, despite the Brazilian’s recent hamstring injury with Spain’s Juan Mata among the substitutes.
Despite Bayern dominating possession, Chelsea went ahead after eight minutes when Germany winger Andre Schuerrle’s cross was volleyed into the top right corner by Torres.
In the build-up, Guardiola dubbed Mourinho “the master of quick counter-attacks” and Chelsea proved his point as Branislav Ivanovic’s throw-on was swept downfield by Hazard to Schuerrle, then Torres as the Blues covered 80 metres in 13 seconds.
Both sides had first-half chances as Torres fired wide, while at the other end Ribery forced Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech into a diving save with 22 minutes gone, then Thomas Mueller hit the side netting as it finished 1-1 at the break.
Bayern drew level on 47 minutes when Ribery’s right-footed shot rifled past the diving Cech, leading to the Frenchman sprinting into Guardiola’s arms and planting a kiss on the Spaniard’s forehead.
Dante gifted Chelsea a golden chance to take the lead on 64 minutes when the Bayern centre-back’s slip allowed Oscar’s shot, which was saved by Manuel Neuer, before Frank Lampard fired over.
Neuer could only palm Ivanovic’s header off the crossbar on 78 minutes and then got down to deny Luiz’s header five minutes from time, just before Chelsea midfielder Ramires was dismissed for a second yellow for a foul on Bayern sub Mario Goetze.
When the game went into extra-time, Hazard gave Chelsea the lead when he cut inside two players from the left and fired underneath Neuer.
Bayern turned up the pressure on Martinez and Marco Mandzukic forcing Cech into diving saves from headers in the second-half of extra-time while Ribery’s late free-kick was palmed around the post.
The game took an incredible twist at the death when the ball broke off Dante for Martinez to stab home to settle the final on penalties.