Bayern May Not Enjoy Bundesliga Procession But Rivals Face Uphill Task

The recently named Franz Beckenbauer Supercup has galore uses. Unlike immoderate of its continental counterparts, this curtain-raising gathering betwixt convention and cup winners tends to brim pinch a pleasing intensity. It unfolds successful a partisan ambiance too, taking spot astatine 1 of nan 2 competitors’ stadium alternatively than astatine a neutral venue, truthful we consciousness nan existent consecutive away.

Telling america what to expect for nan coming 9 months successful nan Bundesliga, however, isn’t often 1 of nan Supercup’s strengths. Bayer Leverkusen gave a religious belief of their double-winning shape successful emerging victorious successful past year’s version by punking Stuttgart pinch a precocious Patrik Schick extremity earlier winning connected penalties, having played a immense chunk of nan lucifer pinch 10 men. The twelvemonth before, Harry Kane made an inauspicious Bayern Munich debut astatine nan extremity of “a crazy 24 hours”, entering nan section to tumultuous acclaim only for his caller squad to subsequently beryllium flattened by Dani Olmo’s hat-trick for Leipzig. Pep Guardiola, meanwhile, ne'er won it successful his 3 years astatine Bayern.

Maybe this time, though, it’s a lawsuit of caller name, caller game. We can’t cognize yet but nan first version named aft Der Kaiser had a ringing of familiarity, possibly moreover inevitability, to it. As nan announcer astatine nan MHP Arena informed america of 4 minutes of added time, galore Stuttgart fans whistled and booed. Can’t it beryllium complete already? In nan event, Jamie Leweling pulled 1 backmost successful that clip to trim nan location team’s nonaccomplishment to 2-1, but it was highly flattering. All successful all, nan title underlined that moreover without Jamal Musiala, Bayern are formidable. And inevitable.

Kane, who opened nan scoring for Bayern’s home play pinch an unforgiving finish, raised eyebrows successful nan German media by claiming Vincent Kompany’s existent group is “one of nan smallest squads I’ve played in”, which, fixed the measurement up from Tottenham to Bayern, is jarring. “We’re a small light, if we’re being honest,” he said.

That whitethorn good beryllium nan lawsuit successful Kane’s assemblage of nan pitch, pinch Leroy Sané, Kingsley Coman and Thomas Müller exiting and only Luis Díaz arriving for now, though nan Colombian popped up successful nan Supercup pinch nan benignant of winning extremity that erstwhile wingers of this parish simply wouldn’t score; a stooping mid-range header from a Serge Gnabry cross. Díaz is simply a deluxe addition, threatening to go Bayern’s astir energetic wide subordinate since Franck Ribéry, pinch much goals to boot.

Nick Woltemade appears intent connected securing a move to Bayern Munich but Stuttgart are holding retired for a large fee. Photograph: Bernd Weißbrod/AP

There is apt much to travel earlier nan transportation deadline, pinch a agelong play ahead, and Bayern are keen connected Nick Woltemade; nan Stuttgart striker’s early loomed complete nan Supercup arsenic overmuch arsenic his awesome framework did. The champions person made their liking successful Germany’s under-21 prima clear and nan emotion is mutual; Woltemade fto different willing parties – reportedly including Napoli and Real Madrid – cognize that he wanted only to spell to Munich. But pinch Bayern balking astatine a €70m asking value for a free transportation presence from Werder Bremen past summer, nary wonderment Stuttgart’s main executive, Alexander Wehrle, felt assured successful saying “the matter is closed” connected Saturday. We will see.

Perhaps nan champion news for Bayern is that their closest rivals of nan past 2 seasons are undergoing a play of moreover much pronounced change. Leverkusen are now post-Xabi Alonso and his replacement, Erik 10 Hag, has seen Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong and Jonathan Tah each go, with nan acquisition of Granit Xhaka and nan captain, Lukas Hradecky, besides taking leave. Some fearfulness for Leverkusen’s early without Xhaka, though it is morganatic to inquire if he made consciousness minus Alonso, arsenic nan now Real Madrid coach ever said astir nan midfielder arsenic his typical connected nan pitch.

Despite his Manchester United struggles, Ten Hag is hugely respected successful Germany, and Leverkusen person ne'er forgotten what they are contempt nan unthinkable successes of 2024 – a nine pinch astir half of Borussia Dortmund’s fund that must activity to go established arsenic a Champions League perennial. Having made €210m connected transfers already this window, they will thin connected younger players, pinch nan teenagers Ibrahim Maza and Axel Tape sparkling successful pre-season, pinch a fewer large signings to travel to supplement them, astir apt led by Sevilla’s immaculate French defender Loïc Badé.

RB Leipzig are successful a not dissimilar vessel for different reasons, having grounded to make Europe past clip retired for nan first clip since they were promoted successful 2016. With a caller coach successful Ole Werner – who was fantabulous astatine Bremen – and a young sporting director, Marcel Schäfer, it was basal for Red Bull’s world caput of sport, 1 Jürgen Klopp, to instrumentality his caput supra nan parapet successful an early training convention to fto everyone cognize that nan nine are still connected track. Benjamin Sesko is apt to beryllium followed to nan Premier League by Xavi Simons, truthful Leipzig will beryllium going backmost to Red Bull basics of younker and dynamism, pinch caller signings Yan Diomandé, Johan Bakayoko and Rômulo supplementing nan 20-year-olds Antonio Nusa and El Chadaille Bitshiabu.

Jobe Bellingham’s presence underlines Borussia Dortmund’s enduring estimation arsenic an elite finishing school. Photograph: Oliver Kaelke/DeFodi Images/Shutterstock

And what of Dortmund? Niko Kovac worked miracles successful lifting them into nan apical 4 successful nan location strait of past season, but location has been small chance to build connected that; from their information astatine nan Club World Cup shortening their holidays, to nan purse strings being tightened by events arsenic wide-ranging arsenic paying disconnected nan past twelvemonth of Sébastien Haller’s lucrative woody and an estimated €10m refit of nan club’s firm kitchens. Jobe Bellingham’s arrival underlined Dortmund’s enduring estimation arsenic an elite finishing schoolhouse but Kovac will request to easiness disconnected his infamously demanding beingness authorities if nan CWC is not to travel backmost and wound them.

Eintracht Frankfurt mightiness beryllium nan astir undercover of each acheronian horses. After cashing successful connected Hugo Ekitiké, their position arsenic maestro traders nether their sporting director, Markus Krösche, is nary longer a secret. But they are already a mates of steps ahead. Having signed nan Germany striker Jonathan Burkhardt arsenic a more-than-capable Ekitiké replacement, Frankfurt participate nan Champions League acold amended equipped than they did 2 years ago, pinch a bully defence and pinch options up front.

The 2 promoted teams, FC Köln and Hamburg (the second aft a seven-year absence), are important additions to nan Bundesliga, introducing 2 immense derbies to nan schedule, pinch Köln-Borussia Mönchengladbach and HSV against St Pauli must-watch moments of immoderate season. The Volksparkstadion limb of nan second is successful nan 2nd week, helping nan play disconnected to a bang.

Those early weeks committedness to beryllium key. We are waiting for a existent contender to inconvenience Bayern to look successful nan season’s opening stanza. In nan meantime, nan truth that Wirtz is nary longer a Bundesliga player, suggesting Bayern’s pulling powerfulness is nary longer unmatched, whitethorn connection nan top dream that Kompany’s squad are not group for a convoy to nan Meisterschale.