Carlo Ancelotti claimed his first title as Bayern Munich coach on Sunday as a 2-0 victory at Borussia Dortmund gave last season's double winners the German Super Cup.
The 57-year-old has succeeded Pep Guardiola, who won seven titles in three years as Bayern coach, and Ancelotti made a flying start on his first competitive match with Munich.
This was the 18th title of the Italian's coaching career after stints at Juventus, AC Milan, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid.
After Arturo Vidal’s opening goal, early in the second-half, Thomas Muller, who failed to score for Germany at last month’s European Championships, grabbed the second.
The victory breaks Bayern’s run of four straight defeats to claim their first German Super Cup title since 2012 – a trophy Guardiola never won with Munich.
“We’re happy, of course it was difficult and Dortmund played very, very well,” said Ancelotti.
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"But things worked much better for us after the break and this gives us some self-confidence for the Bundesliga.
“This team is already very, very strong.”
With less than a fortnight to go until Bayern open the new Bundesliga season at home to Werder Bremen on August 26, Munich will be chasing a fifth straight crown.
This was the eighth time Bayern and Dortmund have met in a final in the last four years.
Bayern have now won four of the showdowns, including May’s DFB-Pokal (German Cup) final, which Munich won on penalties to sign off Guardiola’s three-years with the league and cup double.
There was plenty of added spice before kick-off at the sold-out Signal Iduna Park in front of 81,360 fans.
Ex-Dortmund captain Mats Hummels made his first return in the Bayern shirt since his €35 million (Dh143.6m) transfer back to Munich.
Likewise, Dortmund's new signings Ousmane Dembele, the 19-year-old French wonder winger from Rennes, made his competitive debut along with ex-Barcelona centre-back Marc Bartra.
But Germany’s World Cup winner Mario Gotze spent the game on Dortmund’s bench after rejoining Borussia following three frustrating years at Bayern.
Both Dortmund manager Thomas Tuchel and Ancelotti opted for a 4-1-4-1 formation.
Tuchel used Dembele and Colombia’s Adrian Ramos as wingers while Ancelotti opted for Franck Ribery on the left and Muller on Bayern’s right.
There were five yellow cards in the first 45 minutes in a highly-charged opening half.
Dortmund dominated the early stages with both Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Dembele going close on two occasions each, keeping Bayern’s Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer busy.
Bayern’s best chance came on 38 minutes when Javi Martinez’s superb cross allowed Vidal a bullet header, but Dortmund goalkeeper Roman Burki got his glove to the ball.
But the live-wire Chile international was not to be denied after the break.
Robert Lewandowski’s pass found Vidal in space and although his first shot from outside the box was blocked, he drilled home the rebound on 58 minutes.
Muller made the result safe when Hummels rose highest at a corner and his Germany teammate was on hand to tap his shot past Burki on 79 minutes.
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