FCB heading into the Bundesliga opener with this mindset

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FC Bayern München

·27 August 2026

FCB heading into the Bundesliga opener with this mindset

Curtain up on the new Bundesliga season! FC Bayern host VfB Stuttgart in a Matchday 1 thriller at the Allianz Arena on Friday evening (live coverage with our text commentary and free web radio on fcbayern.com and in the FC Bayern app from 20.30 CEST). Having faced each other four times last season (twice in the Bundesliga, once in the Franz Beckenbauer Supercup and once in the DFB Cup final), the men from Munich and VfB now kick off the new league campaign with the ‘Südschlager’ (southern clash). Here’s all you need to know ahead of the game in our preview.

The best photos from Thursday’s final training session:

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Final training ahead of the home game against Stuttgart

On Thursday, FC Bayern had their final training session ahead of their Bundesliga home match against VfB Stuttgart. The session in pictures..

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Following a strong pre-season, with five wins from six friendlies, FC Bayern secured their first trophy of the new campaign last Saturday in the Franz Beckenbauer Supercup against Borussia Dortmund. In their 2-1 victory at Dortmund’s Signal Iduna Park, head coach Vincent Kompany’s side impressed for long stretches of the match, further boosting their confidence ahead of the Bundesliga opener. “I’m really happy we’ve started the season like this. It’s always fun to win a trophy and win matches,” said Konrad Laimer. “We’ve shown once again that we don’t intend to drop our level by one or two per cent – if anything, we want to give even more. We want to win every match; that’s the mindset we’re taking into the new season.” Following their Supercup success, Laimer and Co. are keen to lay down another marker in their clash with Stuttgart: “We’re really up for the match and want to play our own brand of football against a good side and show just how good we are.”

The facts on the match against VfB Stuttgart:

Bayern go into opener with this record run

“It’s always special at the start – there’s that tingle of excitement. There’s immense anticipation, but also a bit of tension,” said board member for sport Max Eberl on Thursday during the pre-match press conference ahead of the opening game. “Last year, we kicked off with a 6–0 win against Leipzig – that was extraordinary. But none of this should be taken for granted. We'll have to work hard to to get back into the rhythm we had last season. It’s all about the mindset of not taking anything for granted. That’s the challenge in getting off to a good start to the campaign, which then creates the momentum for something great to emerge,” Eberl went on to explain.

The opening fixture against Stuttgart will be a real test for the men from Munich. “A game against Stuttgart is a bit like a Premier League clash – very intense. They’re a team who alway apply pressure and always try to find creative solutions with the ball. Last season, they had the second-best attack. It’s not a bad match to start off with. They’re fully committed to their style of play and their game plan,” added Kompany.

You can read the key points from the pre-match press conference here:

Kompany ahead of Stuttgart: 'In my mind, I’ve won zero trophies'

The opposition: VfB Stuttgart

VfB Stuttgart head to Munich on the back of a 4–0 win in the DFB Cup against third-tier side Hansa Rostock. Overall, the Swabians can look back on a successful pre-season with four wins in friendlies (one draw, one defeat). The core of the Stuttgart squad has not changed all that much compared to last season. After finishing fourth and reaching the DFB Cup final, expectations at VfB are correspondingly high. “My job is to put things into perspective. We’re already operating close to our limits. There are some clubs that have very different resources to us,” said Stuttgart’s head coach Sebastian Hoeneß ahead of the clash with Bayern. “But we’re ambitious, and the last few years have also ensured that we really enjoy being where we are. However, it can't be taken for granted; you have to function very well as a team, and that’s what we need to focus on,” emphasised the 44-year-old. According to Hoeneß, the season opener is the “toughest possible away fixture. Bayern were by far the best team in Germany last season, and they've also impressively demonstrated once again that they’re right back there. We want to go into the game with conviction; then we can give Bayern a run for their money.”

We take a look at VfB in our opposition analysis:

What to expect from Stuttgart in Munich

Team news

Lennart Karl has returned to the Bayern squad following a torn muscle fibre. Jamal Musiala will not be available, although he did train with the team again on Thursday.

Stuttgart will be without Dennis Seimen, Dan-Axel Zagadou, Nikolas Nartey, Justin Diehl and Jeremy Arévalo. In addition, according to head coach Sebastian Hoeneß, it's still too early for new signing Leo Sauer to feature. Luca Jaquez, Ramon Hendriks and Lorenz Assignon are back in training following their injuries. Jamie Leweling, who missed the cup match due to illness, will travel to Munich with the squad. It remains to be seen whether Chris Führich will feature.

What the coaches say

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Put your knowledge of the upcoming Bundesliga clash to the test in our Matchday Quiz:

Matchday Quiz: Bayern vs. Stuttgart