FC Bayern’s Bundesliga home game against VfL Wolfsburg kicks off in just over an hour, with coach Vincent Kompany springing a surprise to kick off the 2026 season.
After the winter break, Munich welcome Lower Saxony to the Allianz Arena. Despite several absentees, the Bayern coach sends a largely well-coordinated starting XI out onto the pitch for the 2026 competitive season opener, but surprises with a replacement for the injured Joshua Kimmich.
Captain Manuel Neuer is back between the posts after recovering from a muscle injury, with Konrad Laimer, Dayot Upamecano, Jonathan Tah and Josip Stanisic starting in front of him in the back four. Aleksandar Pavlovic and Tom Bischof form the duo in central midfield in front of the defence. The 20-year-old is thus given the nod to start in the first competitive match of the year, while Leon Goretzka is only on the bench. In attack, Michael Olise, Lennart Karl and Luis Diaz start behind centre-forward Harry Kane, who will be looking to continue his goalscoring exploits in the new year.
Wolfsburg still too early for Musiala and Kimmich
Jamal Musiala will not be available. Although the attacking player has recently returned to team training, the home game against Wolfsburg still comes too soon. „Not yet for this game. We are close, but we don’t want to take this last step too quickly,“ explained Kompany at the pre-match press conference. Joshua Kimmich is still missing with ankle problems, but Kompany recently gave the all-clear that the Munich midfield engine should not be out for too long.
Alphonso Davies and Sacha Boey are also missing from the squad due to illness, with Boey facing a possible winter exit.
Overview of the line-up
FC Bayern: Neuer – Laimer, Upamecano, Tah, Stanisic – Pavlovic, Bischof – Olise, Karl, Diaz – Kane
FC Bayern substitutes‘ bench: Urbig – Gnabry, Goretzka, Ito, Guerreiro, Kiala, Mike, Chávez, Santos
VfL Wolfsburg: to follow shortly
VfL Wolfsburg travel to Munich with personnel problems, with coach Bauer missing Wind, Maehle and Rogerio among others.