All about the next game: Leverkusen away in the Supercup

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·15. August 2024

All about the next game: Leverkusen away in the Supercup

The first competitive match of the season is upon us, and it’s already about winning a title. VfB Stuttgart has the chance to secure the second Supercup in its history against double-winners Bayer 04 Leverkusen.

“New season, new me” is the motto at VfB again this year, as the club had to navigate yet another squad overhaul. This is nothing new on Mercedesstraße, given that last year, the team also had to replace three key players—Sosa, Endo, and Mavropanos. This year, it’s Guirassy, Ito, and Waldemar “I’m not looking to leave” Anton who are gone. However, while Wohlgemuth was quite frugal in 2023, this year the purse strings have loosened. Record signings Deniz Undav and Demirović have joined, and according to Hoeneß, the defense is still seeking further reinforcements.

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Now, let’s talk about the match. The Supercup is often dismissed by fans as a “funfair trophy.” So, it’s not surprising that both Leverkusen and VfB ultras are staying away from the game. This is also because the first round of the DFB-Pokal is unnecessarily distorted, with the original first-round matches against Preußen Münster and Carl Zeiss Jena being moved to a Tuesday or Wednesday evening. I see it differently. I can understand the criticism regarding the scheduling, but I think that for the club and the team, this title is more than just a glorified friendly. It’s about crowning a successful and historic season—something they’ve earned and can be proud of.

Unfortunately, just like in the DFB-Pokal and Bundesliga, TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen might stand in the way again. Despite their double win and an unbeaten Bundesliga season, the stain of losing the Europa League final still lingers. Leverkusen, which only managed to beat us in the cup, only stayed unbeaten in the league thanks to a refereeing error, and only remains in the Bundesliga due to a special exception. Their public image, particularly with CEO Fernando Carro, hasn’t exactly been glowing.

From Stuttgart’s perspective, this could be the perfect conclusion to the 2023/24 season. But even if it goes wrong and we fail against Xabi Alonso for the third time, it’s still an honor and a reward for this team to be participating in this game—as the second-best team of the 2023/2024 season, just 14 months after winning the relegation battle against HSV.

Squad Situation

The season has just begun, and some first-team players aren’t fully fit yet. Zagadou and Vagnoman are still catching up in training after serious injuries, and Stergiou is struggling with back problems following Euro 2024.

Possible Starting Lineup

Admittedly, it was difficult to make a realistic prediction. I based it on the starting eleven from the match against Bilbao, where Leweling played as a shadow striker behind Demirović. I could imagine Undav playing instead of Leweling, but I think he hasn’t been in team training long enough for obvious reasons.

Statistics

Due to the irregular scheduling of the Supercup, VfB has only managed to participate once in this competition despite several league titles and cup wins. In 1992, they triumphed 3–1 against the second-division and DFB-Pokal winners Hannover 96 in the Niedersachsenstadion. This means they are technically still unbeaten in this competition. This is also Leverkusen’s second appearance in the Supercup. A year after VfB’s victory, Bayer faced Bundesliga champions Werder Bremen as cup winners. Unlike VfB, they couldn’t win and lost in a penalty shootout. The fact that the game was also held at the BayArena (then known as the Ulrich-Haberland-Stadion) could be a good omen for VfB.

Conclusion

I’m not expecting a lukewarm summer kickabout or an uninspired opponent like in the season opener. This is a competitive match, and both teams will give everything to win. Unfortunately, I fear that we’ll once again finish second behind Leverkusen in this third competition, as our squad isn’t yet complete, and we’re missing some key players.

Picture: © Lars Baron/Getty Images