Schalke defeated reigning Bundesliga champions Borussia Dortmund 4-3 on penalties in tonight's Super Cup encounter as the football season got off to a low-key start at the Veltins Arena in Germany.

Dortmund had the better of the chances in a cagey encounter, but failed to hold their nerve in the penalty shootout with misses by Kevin Grosskreutz and Ivan Perisic proving costly. The champions bossed the opening 45 minutes, with Sebastian Kehl first to go close on 24 minutes when his header from a corner crashed against the post.

Grosskreutz fired wide of the target 11 minutes before the break while on 43 minutes Robert Lewandowski let fly from the edge of the area, but Schalke goalkeeper Ralf Fahrmann was able to make the stop.

Fahrmann was again in action four minutes after the restart as Lewandowski took aim with a powerful drive that seemed destined for the top corner before being parried to safety.

Schalke finally found a way through the organised Dortmund ranks on 74 minutes when Jan Moravek was presented with a glorious chance in front of the sticks, but Roman Weidenfeller did well to narrow the angle as the chance went begging.

With normal time unable to produce a winner the match went straight to penalties, and soon Dortmund came unstuck. Ilkay Gundogan and Mats Hummels netted Dortmund's opening kicks while Schalke did likewise through Lewis Holtby and Edu, but Grosskreutz missed to heap the pressure on the champions.

Moritz Leitner's successful spot-kick kept Dortmund in it as Schalke stayed perfect with efforts from Benedikt Howedes and Jose Manuel Jurado. However, the game was over for Jurgen Klopp's men when Perisic failed to convert.