Xabi Alonso and Sebastian Hoeneß were the touchline brains behind the top two sides in the Bundesliga last season – and in their two gripping league encounters, there was ultimately nothing between them. Now Bayer Leverkusen and VfB Stuttgart meet again in the season curtain-raising Supercup, and in this analysis we focus on their respective midfield engine rooms. Granit Xhaka and Robert Andrich are the imposing duo in the middle for champs Leverkusen, going up against rock-solid Atakan Karazor and fast-rising star Angelo Stiller for the visitors. It all adds up to an intriguing tactical contest, on and off the pitch.