After a short pre-season, Bayern Munich will begin the new season with a DFL Supercup showdown against VfB Stuttgart on Saturday at MHP Arena in Stuttgart. It is going to be a crucial game for Bayern as they can set the tone for the new season by winning the first piece of silverware.
Vincent Kompany has done a fine job at Bayern since arriving from Burnley last summer. He has helped Die Roten regain the Bundesliga title and implemented an attractive style of football. The Belgian coach was disappointed with the team's performance in the cup competitions last season. The game against Stuttgart gives Kompany and Bayern an ideal opportunity to improve their record in cup competitions and begin the campaign in the best possible way.
Team News
Kompany will have one less option in the attack on Saturday as Kingsley Coman sealed a move Al-Nassr. The Bavarian club will look to find a replacement for Coman in the transfer market.
Aleksandar Pavlovic has started training on the pitch, but he will not be fit to play a part in the clash against Stuttgart. Alphonso Davies, Hiroki Ito, and Jamal Musiala are the long-term absentees for Bayern as they are progressing well in the rehabilitation from respective serious injuries.
Predicted Starting XI
Manuel Neuer is expected to start in the goal for Bayern Munich on Saturday. It will be interesting to see how Bayern will juggle the game time of Jonas Urbig alongside Neuer. Urbig delivered positive performances last season when Neuer was sidelined due to injury.
In the central defense, it does look like Jonathan Tah and Dayot Upamecano are the first-choice pairing for Kompany this season. Konrad Laimer will slot in the right-back position after impressing in this role throughout last season. There is a choice to make between Josip Stanisic and Raphael Guerreiro for the left-back role. Considering the recent performances of both defenders, Stanisic will likely get the nod.
The selection in the midfield is straightforward due to Pavlovic’s injury. Leon Goretzka and Joshua Kimmich will form the midfield partnership against Stuttgart.
Michael Olise will play on the right flank, while Luis Diaz will make his competitive debut for Die Roten on Saturday as the wide player on the left side of the attack. Since Jamal Musiala is out for several months, Serge Gnabry will get the opportunity to impress in the number ten role. Harry Kane will lead the attack for Die Roten on Saturday.
Predicted Starting XI- Neuer; Laimer, Upamecano, Tah, Stanisic; Kimmich, Goretzka; Diaz, Gnabry, Olise; Kane
Score Prediction
Bayern Munich 3-2 VfB Stuttgart
There is a lot of narrative off the pitch for this game as the two sides are locked in negotiations for the transfer of Nick Woltemade, which will add further spice to the fixture. Bayern had a shorter pre-season, so I expect them to be rusty, but expect a lot of goals in this game with the Bundesliga Champions narrowly edging the game.