BUDAPEST: Bayern Munich stretched their remarkable record to 23 successive victories in all competitions and no defeats this year by defeating Sevilla 2-1 after extra time to land in the UEFA Super Cup.

Fans were permitted to attend a European club fixture for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic wreaked havoc with the game. Some 16,000 fans were present in the Puskas Arena in compliance with tight health controls.

Substitute Javi Martinez headed in the winner in the 104th minute for the Champions League holders after Europa League winners Sevilla had taken a 13th-minute lead through Lucas Ocampos’s penalty. Bayern levelled through Leon Goretzka in the 34th minute.

Bayern, unbeaten in 32 consecutive matches, also won the domestic league and Cup double as well as the Champions League under Hansi Flick who took over last November from Nico Kovac.They were the better side throughout, had two goals disallowed in the first half and saw Robert Lewandowski, Benjamin Pavard and Thomas Muller waste other openings.

Yet they also had to thank superb keeper Neuer who kept them in the game first with a one-on-one save against Youssef En-Nesyri to send the game to extra time and then deflecting another shot from the same player onto the post two minutes later.

Martinez, in what may prove his last Bayern game ahead of a return home to Athletic Bilbao, headed the winner five minutes after appearing as a substitute.

The Spaniard had also scored in extra time in Bayern’s only previous Super Cup win in 2013.

UEFA Super Cup (Budapest):

Bayern Munich 2 (Goretzka 34, Javi Martinez 104)

Sevilla 1 (Ocampos 13pen) in extra time)

HT: 1-1. 90min: 1-1. Att: 16,000. Ref: Taylor (Eng)

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Bayern Munich 2 (Goretzka 34, Javi Martinez 104), Sevilla 1 (Ocampos 13pen) in extra time)