Bayern Munich’s busy Bundesliga start will be a good test for Niko Kovac
Bayern Munich face some tough opposition in their first handful of Bundesliga games, which will serve as a solid test for new manager Niko Kovac.
The 2018-19 Bundesliga season begins on Friday, when Bayern Munich host TSG Hoffenheim at the Allianz Arena. The visitors, who finished as Germany’s fourth best club last season, are the first in a handful of tough opponents Niko Kovac and Co. will face to begin their title defense.
Bayern have had a rather calm offseason, with few additions to the squad and even fewer players leaving the club (for now). With most of the Bavarians’ World Cup stars missing several preseason games, there’s not much that can be said about the direction the club is heading this season.
Niko Kovac has urged for more speed and directness in the squad’s play, but the Croatian has also suggested he doesn’t want to stray too far from the style of play that has dominated the club since Louis Van Gaal took over in 2009.
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Bayern played this style to great effect just over a week ago in the DFL Supercup, smashing Eintracht Frankfurt 5-0.
They then, however, went 82 minutes without scoring against fourth division side Drochtersen/Assel on Saturday. They nearly gave up a shock goal as well.
It’s difficult to make any assessments as to how Niko Kovac will fare in Bavaria, which is a good thing: it’s far too early to pass any judgment anyway. But that will certainly change over the next month or two.
Six of Bayern’s first seven games of the Bundesliga season come against teams who finished in the top 10 last time out: Hoffenheim (3rd), Stuttgart (7th), Bayer Leverkusen (5th), Schalke (2nd), Augsburg (12th), Hertha Berlin (10th) and Borussia Monchengladbach (9th).
Based upon the lofty standards Bayern has set for themselves, they are expected to take all of the available 21 points away from these matches. But it won’t be easy. Under a new manager and with a few new faces, Bayern might stumble and drop some points during this important stage of the season.
These opening months will be — in many ways — the first big test of Niko Kovac’s career. How his team succeeds or fails in these seven matches could provide a good indication of how successful Bayern will be under the Croatian.
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The upcoming match against Hoffenheim will be a particularly important one for Kovac and Co. It’s never good to begin a season with a loss, but even moreso under a new coach. Bayern must be at their best to start the ’18-19 Bundesliga season on the right note.