Victory after overtime: Kansas City Chiefs defend their Super Bowl title

To get off the Taylor Swift topic right from the start: Yes, she arrived on time, as expected. She entered Allegiant Stadium about two hours before the game began and was in the box during the game to cheer on her boyfriend, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. Nothing more, nothing less.

On a sporting note: The game was initially dominated by both defensive lines. The 49ers' first possession at the start of the game started off promisingly, but then running back Christian McCaffrey lost the ball – and George Karlaftis was there for the Chiefs to win it. After that, the 49ers quickly stopped the Chiefs again. It stayed that way throughout the first quarter, where there were no points.

But that changed at the start of the second period: San Francisco at least worked its way into the opponent's half, where Chiefs defender Trent McDuffie defended strongly on a pass from quarterback Brock Purdy and prevented a touchdown. Jake Moody then went for a 55-yard field goal – and scored. New Super Bowl record at 3-0 for San Francisco.

The Chiefs wanted to answer straight away, but shortly before the end zone Isiah Pacheco lost the ball, which the 49ers were able to secure this time. It took a while again, but then San Francisco showed a real highlight: Purdy gave the ball back to his wide receiver Jauan Jennings, who then threw it across the field to McCaffrey. The running back showed his class and scored the first touchdown of the game. A great play and the first touchdown pass by a wide receiver in a super Bowls since 2006.

By the halftime break, the Chiefs managed a field goal to make it 3:10, but that was it. Kansas City's offense couldn't cope with the 49ers' defensive line around Joey Bosa and Chase Young, and San Francisco was also dominant on the other side of the ball at the line of scrimmage. It was a deserved lead – but only by seven points and therefore one touchdown.

The Chiefs would have that to equalize right after the breakI can score, but after Usher's halftime show They got off to a very bad start, with Mahomes throwing an interception to Ji'Ayir Brown, giving away possession. It showed: Even in the second half, the defensive lines dominated the game. Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker scored the first points of the third quarter with five minutes left when he converted a field from 57 yards, once again breaking Moody's record.

Shortly afterwards, the 49ers made a momentous mistake: During a punt by the Chiefs, the ball touched the foot of a San Francisco player, which freed the ball and could be secured by the Chiefs – 16 yards from the 49ers end zone. Mahomes threw a pass to Marquez Valdes-Scantling in the end zone for a touchdown. Kansas City suddenly had a 13:10 lead.

At the beginning of the final quarter, the 49ers turned the game around again with Purdy throwing a touchdown pass to Jennings. However, the extra point was blocked, leaving San Francisco only three points ahead instead of four. A field goal would be enough for the Chiefs to equalize – and that's exactly what they scored immediately afterwards, making it 16:16 with just under six minutes to go.

The 49ers then showed a very strong drive that allowed them to run the clock down to just under two minutes. Then Moody was called upon again – and scored to make it 19:16. Mahomes and the Chiefs now had almost two minutes and two timeouts left, which in football can be an eternity. Kansas City also had a chance to win, but the pass into the end zone was incomplete. So Butker stepped up again and scored to equalize again, which sent the game into extra time.

There, San Francisco marched right to the Chiefs' end zone, but couldn't get the ball in. Moody scored a field goal to make it 22:19, so the Chiefs absolutely had to score in return. A touchdown would win the game.

Kansas City didn't make it easy for itself; among other things, it had to play on a fourth attempt and gain a lot of yards after a hair-raising play by Valdes-Scantling. But in the end they always made it. The decision was made seconds before the first quarter of overtime would have been over: After Travis Kelce, who was extremely strong from the second half, carried the ball to the three-yard line, Mahomes threw a pass from there into the end zone to Hardman for the victory.