With the preseason done and dusted, Borussia Dortmund are now looking forward to opening their 2026-27 season with an exciting showdown with Bayern Munich in the Franz Beckenbauer Supercup on Saturday.
The BVB enter the tie high on confidence after slogging their way through a testing preseason campaign and having added some new talents to their ranks.
Head coach Niko Kovac is eyeing his first trophy with the club, although it's easier said than done against his former side, the swashbuckling Bayern who completed a clean sweep of Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal last season.
Will the Bavarians add a third medal in 2026? Or will Die Borussen finally end their long and drawn-out trophy drought? Let's delve into some interesting stats first:
Dortmund make 13th Supercup appearance
Saturday's fixture marks Dortmund's 13th appearance in the German Supercup. Only Bayern Munich (18) have played the single-legged tie on more occasions than the BVB, who return for the first time since 2021.
The BVB made their Supercup debut way back in 1989, qualifying as Pokal winners and facing off Bayern, the league champions. It ended 4-3 in Dortmund's favor, clinching the trophy on their first appearance.
In the 21st century, the side has contested the Supercup nine times, including twice as Bundesliga winners in 2011 and 2012, losing both.
2019, the last time BVB won the cup
Speaking of titles, Dortmund's sixth and final Supercup triumph came way back in 2019 under Lucien Favre. Interestingly, their current manager Niko Kovac stood in the opposite dugout back then as he watched his future club walk away with the trophy.
The rivals played out a tense but cagey first half, although goals from Paco Alcacer and Jadon Sancho after the break handed the BVB a 2-0 victory in front of their thronging fans at the Westfalonstadion.
Dortmund staring at unwanted record
Having lost in their subsequent German Supercup appearances in 2020 and 2021, Dortmund could face the ignominy of losing the cup title on three consecutive appearances.
For the record, only Bayern have suffered such a fate in the cup before, losing in 2013, 2014 and 2015 editions. Meanwhile, VfB Suttgart are the other side to have lost in back-to-back Supercup appearances (2024 and 2025).
Moreover, a loss would also see Dortmund equal Bayern's record for most defeats in the fixture with seven.
Bayern lead BVB with 5 wins
The upcoming clash between Der Klassiker rivals will be the 10th in the German Supercup. Of the previous nine, the head-to-head record is close with the Bavarians winning on five occasions (2012, 2016, 2017, 2020 and 2021) and Dortmund with four (1989, 2013, 2014, and 2019).
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