Bayern 2026/27 preview: transfers, pre-season, Musiala concern, predicted XI and title defence | OneFootball

Bayern begin 2026/27 as champions, aiming to stay on top. Vincent Kompany has strengthened a powerful squad and leaned into youth, although Jamal Musiala’s health remains a concern.

Pre-season opened with a 1-2 defeat at Wehen Wiesbaden, when Tom Bischof was the only regular and he scored a penalty. According to BuLi News, Goretzka’s exit frees midfield minutes and the 21-year-old looks ready to step up.

A 15-0 rout of Rottach-Egern followed, then 2-1 wins over Jeju United and Aston Villa on a South Korea tour. Bayern beat RB Leipzig 3-1 in the Telekom Cup and Heidenheim 4-2.

Both latter games were marred when Musiala collapsed, later diagnosed as absence seizures, a form of epilepsy. He missed the Supercup, but Bayern beat Borussia Dortmund 2-1 with Luis Díaz, Harry Kane and Michael Olise prominent. The Bundesliga opens against VfB Stuttgart, the side Bayern defeated in the 2025/26 DFB-Pokal final.

Ismaël Saibari and Nathaniel Brown arrived for €50 million each from PSV and Eintracht Frankfurt. Saibari is a versatile attacker who can even cover Kane, while Brown, signed as a left-back to rival Alphonso Davies, excelled in the Supercup as an attacking midfielder. Bara Sapoko Ndiaye is now permanent.

Exits saw Leon Goretzka and Raphaël Guerreiro leave on frees, Nicolas Jackson return to Chelsea and Alexander Nübel join Besiktas. Daniel Peretz and Jonah Kusi-Asare moved to the Premier League, with others including João Palhinha to Benfica and Armindo Sieb to LAFC. Wisdom Mike looks set to join Club Brugge.

Kompany is likely to start in a 4-2-3-1 with Neuer, Laimer, Upamecano, Tah, Brown, Kimmich, Pavlović, Olise, Saibari or Musiala, Díaz and Kane. Neuer remains first choice, though Jonas Urbig should play more as Bayern groom him and the captain has hinted this could be his final season. Davies and Brown vie at left-back, Laimer is ahead of Josip Stanišić at right-back, and Bischof is the first midfield alternative.

Bayern look well placed to retain the title, particularly with rivals in flux. Youth depth is growing, with Tim Binder, Maycon Cardozo and Lennart Karl pushing for chances. The Champions League is the big unknown, and the view here is that this could be the year to push for Europe again. Prediction: first place.

Source: BuLi News

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”