FC Bayern Munich vs VfB Stuttgart preview: Big clash in season opener | OneFootball

The Bundesliga is back, and the season opener is certainly a highly anticipated match. Vincent Kompany and Bayern Munich are set to host Sebastian Hoeneß and VfB Stuttgart as two of the best four teams in the league last season face off on Friday.

FC Bayern Munich

Bayern Munich head into the season as favorites to win the Bundesliga, having won 13 of the past 14 titles. Last season, the Bavarians lost only one match, amassing 89 points under Vincent Kompany. Bayern also won the DFB Pokal for the first time since 2020, beating Stuttgart 3-0 in the final.

Bayern have already claimed their first trophy this season, beating Borussia Dortmund 2-1 in the Franz Beckenbauer Supercup. New signing Nathaniel Brown opened the scoring before Michael Olise doubled the lead. Dortmund fought back, but Bayern held on for the win.

Bayern have won their last six matches against Stuttgart, with twelve goals in their last three games against Hoeneß's side. The last time Bayern lost to Die Schwaben was May 2024, when the Bavarians, led by Thomas Tuchel, fell 3-1.

Team News

Lennart Karl is back in the squad, while Ismael Saibari is making good progress and could be ready to start. Jamal Musiala will not be in the squad after collapsing twice in preseason, although he is back in team training.

Serge Gnabry is still sidelined, having suffered a muscle tendon tear in his thigh towards the end of last season.

VfB Stuttgart

Stuttgart balanced the Bundesliga and playing in the Europa League last season, finishing fourth and qualifying for the Champions League. It was yet another strong season under Hoeneß, who has transformed Stuttgart from relegation candidates to regulars in Europe.

Stuttgart started the season with a comfortable 4-0 win over Hansa Rostock in the DFB Pokal. New signing Dženan Pejčinović, who was a revelation last season for relegated Wolfsburg, scored a hat-trick, while Tiago Tomás scored the other.

Stuttgart have historically struggled against Bayern, but will hope to spring a surprise result to start the season. However, it will be a tall task, and several key absences won't help.

Team News

Jamie Leweling has returned to the squad and will be available against Bayern, while a decision on Chris Führich’s availability has not yet been made. Ramon Hendriks is also back in training.

Luca Jaquez, Lorenz Assignon, Leo Sauer, Dennis Seimen, Dan-Axel Zagadou, Nikolas Nartey, Justin Diehl and Jeremy Arévalo will be unavailable because of injuries.

Click here to find the predicted lineups for Bayern vs Stuttgart.