Bayern München Begin Bundesliga Season with Away Fixture at VfL Wolfsburg
FC Bayern München open the new Bundesliga season on Sunday, 25 August, with an away match at VfL Wolfsburg in the Volkswagen Arena, kick-off at 14:30. The Bavarians, surprisingly dethroned by Bayer Leverkusen last season, are looking to set the tone in the title race immediately under new manager Vincent Kompany. Referee Daniel Siebert will take charge of the match.
Wolfsburg Aim to Write a New Chapter Under Hasenhüttl
VfL Wolfsburg head into the new season with renewed confidence following a turbulent previous campaign. The club spent the majority of the season in relegation trouble, until Ralph Hasenhüttl took over for the final eight matches. Under his guidance, the Wolves won four of those crucial games and ultimately finished in a comfortable twelfth place. Now, with a full pre-season behind him, Hasenhüttl is targeting a flying start. The statistics are encouraging: Wolfsburg have won six of their last nine season openers (W6, D2, L1). Notably, the club has failed to draw a single one of their last twelve league matches — five wins alternating with seven defeats. Hasenhüttl is expected to line up in a 4-3-3 formation, with Lovro Majer and Patrick Wimmer supporting striker Jonas Wind in the attacking line. The coach will, however, have to do without two key players: Lukas Nmecha is sidelined with a thigh injury, while Kevin Paredes is struggling with a foot complaint.
Bayern Pursue Redemption with Kompany at the Helm
FC Bayern München travel to Wolfsburg with one objective in mind: reclaiming the Bundesliga title they surrendered last season after eleven years of uninterrupted dominance. It took a historic unbeaten campaign from Bayer Leverkusen to dethrone the Bavarians, while a shocking third-place finish on the final matchday sealed the dismissal of manager Thomas Tuchel. His successor, Vincent Kompany, arrived from Burnley — the club he led to Premier League relegation in the 2023/24 season — an appointment that raised more than a few eyebrows. The pressure on Kompany is palpable. Only once before — in the 1996/97 season — did Bayern fail to win the Bundesliga title in two consecutive seasons. Furthermore, Bayer Leverkusen have already stolen a march by winning Friday's opening fixture against Borussia Mönchengladbach 3-2. Nevertheless, the historical figures offer Kompany some reassurance: Bayern are unbeaten in their last thirteen opening-day matches (W10, D2, L0) and have scored in each of their last 36 encounters with Wolfsburg. In head-to-head terms, the Bavarians are overwhelmingly dominant, winning eighteen of twenty away fixtures at Wolfsburg (W18, D2, L0). A particularly personal storyline surrounds Thomas Müller: should the attacking midfielder feature on Sunday, it will be his 474th Bundesliga appearance for FC Bayern München — an all-time club record. Kompany is expected to deploy a 4-2-3-1 with Harry Kane as the central striker, and new signing Michael Olise could make his Bundesliga debut. Absentees include Hiroki Itō, who is recovering from an ankle injury, and Leroy Sané, who is nursing a groin problem.
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Source: Sportmonks
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