The clash also carries a sense of revenge. Just three months ago, the two teams met in the DFB-Pokal final, where Bayern claimed a 3-0 victory behind a spectacular hat-trick from Harry Kane. Stuttgart will now have their first opportunity to respond, although doing so in Munich represents one of the toughest challenges in the Bundesliga.

Bayern Begin Their Title Defense

Bayern Munich once again enter the season as the main favorites to win the championship.

Vincent Kompany’s side not only managed to keep an attack led by Harry Kane, Michael Olise and Luis Díaz, but also added players such as Ismael Saibari and Nathaniel Brown during the summer to give the squad even greater depth.

And the first warning has already been delivered.

Bayern lifted the German Super Cup after defeating Borussia Dortmund 2-1, a match in which Brown even managed to score on his official debut. Now it is time to carry that strong start into the Bundesliga.

Kane will once again be the main attacking reference. The English striker arrives after winning the European Golden Shoe and finishing last season’s Bundesliga campaign with 36 goals. Stuttgart know exactly how dangerous he can be: the last three goals they conceded against Bayern all came from the striker in that cup final.

One important absence will be Jamal Musiala. Kompany confirmed that the attacking midfielder has returned to training with the group, but he will not yet be included in the squad for this match. Lennart Karl, meanwhile, is back after recovering from his muscular injury.

Bayern Munich Lineup

Stuttgart Want to Spoil the Party in Munich

On the other side are Stuttgart, a team that has gone from being a surprise package to becoming one of the most competitive sides in Germany over the past few years.

Sebastian Hoeneß remains in charge of a project that has managed to finish in the Bundesliga’s top four in two of the last three seasons. His next challenge will be a huge one: visiting the defending champions in the opening match of the season.

Hoeneß was very clear ahead of the game: if Stuttgart are going to get something from their trip to Munich, practically everything will have to go perfectly.

One of their main figures will be Deniz Undav, who was named Stuttgart’s new captain for this season. The striker scored 19 goals in the Bundesliga last campaign and will be one of the biggest threats to the Bayern defense.

In addition, Jamie Leweling has returned to team training and will travel to Munich. Stuttgart, however, will be without several players, including Luca Jaquez, Lorenz Assignon, Leo Sauer, Dennis Seimen, Dan-Axel Zagadou, Nikolas Nartey, Justin Diehl and Jeremy Arévalo. Chris Führich’s availability will be decided at the last minute.

Stuttgart Lineup

A Major Test From Matchday One

Recent history heavily favors Bayern.

Stuttgart have managed just one victory in their last 16 meetings with the Bavarian giants, while their most recent away win against Bayern came in May 2018.

But there is another statistic that makes their mission even more difficult.

This will be the 25th edition of the Bundesliga’s official opening match, and the defending champions have never lost, recording 19 wins and five draws. Bayern have also gone 14 consecutive Bundesliga season openers without defeat.

Everything is ready at the Allianz Arena.

The champions begin the defense of their crown, Stuttgart want to prove they can compete with Germany’s giants, and Harry Kane once again faces an opponent he punished just three months ago.

Match Information

Match: Bayern Munich vs. VfB Stuttgart
Competition: 2026-27 Bundesliga
Matchday: 1
Date: Friday, August 28, 2026
Time: 2:30 p.m. ET / 11:30 a.m. PT / 8:30 p.m. CEST
Stadium: Allianz Arena
City: Munich, Germany

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