The first title of the new season is within reach: On Saturday, FC Bayern will face Borussia Dortmund in the Franz Beckenbauer Super Cup. For Vincent Kompany, this match is not only about winning his first trophy, but also about getting a final assessment of the team’s form before the Bundesliga season kicks off.
On Saturday at 8:30 p.m., FC Bayern will face BVB at Signal Iduna Park. However, it is not yet clear which players Bayern coach Kompany will start in every position.
There shouldn’t be any surprises in goal. Manuel Neuer is expected to be between the posts against BVB.
In central defense, however, a return is on the horizon. Dayot Upamecano is now back in Munich after his World Cup break and is expected to form the central defensive pairing alongside Jonathan Tah.
There are bigger question marks regarding the wing positions. Konrad Laimer had to be substituted due to injury just nine minutes into the friendly against RB Leipzig. It’s still unclear whether Laimer will be able to play on Saturday.
If Laimer is unable to start, Josip Stanisic is likely to be in the starting lineup. On the left, Alphonso Davies, Hiroki Ito, and new signing Nathaniel Brown are in the running. Brown recently caught the eye with a goal and is currently the frontrunner.
Kimmich is a lock—Pavlovic or Bischof?
In midfield, Joshua Kimmich is likely a sure thing. The more interesting question is who will start alongside the captain.
Aleksandar Pavlovic has a good chance of starting. At the same time, Tom Bischof has impressed on several occasions during preseason in his preferred position and is likely hoping for a spot in the lineup as well.
Joao Palhinha, on the other hand, is unlikely to play a role. The Portuguese player was completely absent from the roster recently and is on the verge of a transfer to Benfica Lisbon.
Musiala, Gnabry, and Karl are out
In the offense, Jamal Musiala is out after collapsing twice—once against Leipzig and once in Heidenheim. Vincent Kompany confirmed this at the press conference. In addition to Musiala, Serge Gnabry and Lennart Karl, who remain injured, are also out.
New signing Ismael Saibari could be an option on offense. According to Kompany, the new signing is expected to play an important role.
„Ismael Saibari has so much power and speed, and he’s a good finisher. It’s important that he builds chemistry with his teammates. He’ll play a role tomorrow. He’s coming off an injury, so we’ll see how many minutes he gets. He’ll play an important role for us,” Kompany said at the pre-game press conference.
On the wings, however, Luis Diaz and Michael Olise are the obvious choices. Harry Kane is likely to start up front. According to Kompany, the three star players have returned from vacation in good shape.
„Vacations aren’t what they used to be. Back in the day, you needed eight weeks of preparation after vacation. Now the guys go on vacation with a personal trainer and work out a lot. Harry Kane and Michael Olise also came back from vacation in really good shape, just like Lucho,“ explained the Bayern coach.
At BVB, a few new signings could see action. While Joane Gadou and Konstantinos Kartetsas have a good chance of making the starting lineup, Joey Veermann and Giannis Konstantelias could come off the bench.
An overview of the lineups
FC Bayern: Neuer – Stanisic, Upamecano, Tah, Brown – Kimmich, Pavlovic – Olise, Saibari, Luis Diaz – Kane
Borussia Dortmund: Kobel– Gadou, Anton, Bensebaini – Ryerson, Nmecha, Bellingham, Svensson – Kartetsas, Inacio, Guirassy