Bayer Leverkusen clinched their first-ever German Super Cup title on Saturday, August 17, 2024, defeating VfB Stuttgart 4-3 in a dramatic penalty shootout after the match ended 2-2 in regular time. The victory at Leverkusen’s BayArena marks the team’s third trophy in just four months, following their historic undefeated Bundesliga campaign last season.The match was a rollercoaster of emotions, with Leverkusen’s Nigerian striker Victor Boniface opening the scoring in the 11th minute. Stuttgart fought back, with Enzo Millot equalizing in the 15th minute and Deniz Undav putting them ahead in the 63rd minute. Despite being reduced to 10 men after Martin Terrier’s red card in the 37th minute, Leverkusen showed remarkable resilience. Patrik Schick’s 88th-minute equalizer forced the game into a penalty shootout.Leverkusen’s goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky emerged as the hero of the shootout, making a crucial save to secure the victory. After the match, Hradecky stated, ‘This is definitely a clear signal to the other teams that we want to be back in the game. We haven’t lost our hunger’.The match was not without controversy. A malfunctioning goal-line camera led to the penalty shootout being held in front of Leverkusen fans, a decision that Stuttgart’s coach Sebastian Hoeneß described as ‘bitter’ but unavoidable.Leverkusen’s coach Xabi Alonso praised his team’s spirit but remained grounded about future prospects, saying, ‘We’re not dumb. What happened last season is in the past. We need to focus on the next challenges’. The victory sets an exciting tone for the upcoming Bundesliga season, with Leverkusen demonstrating they remain a force to be reckoned with.
Key points
- Bayer Leverkusen won their first German Super Cup, defeating VfB Stuttgart 4-3 in a penalty shootout after a 2-2 draw.
- Leverkusen showed resilience by equalizing late in the game despite being reduced to 10 men.
- The victory is seen as a statement of intent for the upcoming season, with goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky calling it a ‘clear signal’ to other teams.
Contradictions👾There are slight discrepancies in the reported scorers and timings of goals across different sources, but the overall narrative remains consistent.
