PREVIEW | Bayern Munich vs. Stuttgart: All eyes on 2026/27 Bundesliga curtain-raiser

PREVIEW | Bayern Munich vs. Stuttgart: All eyes on 2026/27 Bundesliga curtain-raiser The Bundesliga finally gets going on Friday night, and it’s a barnstormer of a fixture to kick us off, as we’re treated to a repeat of last season’s DFB Pokal final, with Bayern Munich hosting VfB Stuttgart. Despite only three months having passed since that fixture, in which Harry Kane starred with a hat-trick, it feels like a lifetime ago for us admirers of the German game. With those three months in the books, there is a largely similar feel to both teams. Vincent Kompany has only brought Nathaniel Brown and Ismael Saibari into his squad over the summer, while Sebastian Hoeneß has added five first-team members to his. It therefore feels as though the league season’s opener may come too soon to see that many new faces on the pitch at once. Both teams have felt the effects of pre-season injuries thus far and are missing several players. Notably for the hosts, Jamal Musiala is continuing his recovery after suffering seizures during the warm-up games, while Serge Gnabry and Lennart Karl are both doubts to make it for Friday evening. For the visitors, Dan-Axel Zagadou, Lorenz Assignon and Nicolas Nartey are all but confirmed to be missing, while the ever-reliable Chris Führich is a doubt. Bayern began their competitive season by defeating Borussia Dortmund 2-1 at the Westfalenstadion in the 2026 Franz Beckenbauer Supercup thanks to goals from debutant Brown, and Michael Olise. Meanwhile, Hoeneß was given the selection headache of all selection headaches by new signing Dženan Pejčinović. With a hat-trick on his debut in a 4-1 victory over Hansa Rostock in the Pokal, the Munich born forward has put himself firmly in the frame for a starting spot. Bayern Munich vs. Stuttgart Predicted XIs Bayern Munich: Manuel Neuer – Konrad Laimer, Dayot Upamecano, Jonathan Tah, Nathaniel Brown – Joshua Kimmich, Alexander Pavlović – Michael Olise, Tom Bischoff, Luis Díaz – Harry Kane Stuttgart: Fabian Bredlow – Josha Vagnoman, Finn Jeltsch, Jeff Chabot, Maximilian Mittelstädt – Grischa Prömel, Angelo Stiller – Tiago Tomás, Deniz Undav, Bilal El Khannouss – Ermedin Demirović Last season showed significant improvement from Kompany’s side compared to the season before and, it goes without saying, he will once again be going for an unprecedented treble. Bayern came close to achieving it last season, only to suffer defeat in the semi-final stage of the UEFA Champions League. Stuttgart return to European football’s elite competition this season after a year away in the Europa League, a run which would see them crash out to Portuguese outfit Braga. Despite the disappointing end to their European campaign, it was still a successful season for the Swabians, with a fourth-placed Bundesliga finish and the aforementioned second successive Pokal final. With little to report in terms of outgoings, Hoeneß’s team seems well equipped to enjoy another strong season, though it must be said that opening fixtures don’t get much more difficult than this. GGFN | Harry Good