Bayern Munich vs VfB Stuttgart: Bundesliga opener with plenty of fresh context
Bayern Munich and VfB Stuttgart open the 2026/2027 season at the Allianz Arena, in a match that already in the 1st round brings together the reigning champion and the team that finished the previous Bundesliga season in fourth place. Bayern concluded the 2025/2026 season with 89 points and a record of 28 wins, five draws and only one defeat, while Stuttgart collected 62 points with 18 wins, eight draws and eight defeats. The home side begins its title defence, while the visitors want to confirm their status as a team from the very top of the league.
The match will be played on Friday, 28 August, starting at 20:30. It is the first match of the new Bundesliga season, so the entire league gets underway precisely in München-Fröttmaning. Bayern have not lost any of their last 14 opening-round matches, recording 12 wins and two draws.
Tickets for this match are in high demand among supporters, especially because the fixture in the prime evening slot opens the entire league season.
What both teams bring from last season
Bayern dominated the Bundesliga in 2025/2026. They finished 16 points ahead of second-placed Borussia Dortmund, scored 122 goals in 34 rounds and conceded 36. Harry Kane was once again the central figure of the attack. He scored 36 league goals and won the European Golden Shoe.
VfB Stuttgart finished fourth with 71 goals scored and 49 conceded. Sebastian Hoeneß's team ended the season with 62 points and secured a place among the top four. The core of the squad for the new season includes Angelo Stiller, Chris Führich, Deniz Undav, Ermedin Demirovic, Maximilian Mittelstädt and Atakan Karazor, while Badredine Bouanani and Jovan Milosevic are additional attacking options.
Bayern's squad still looks extremely attack-minded. Alongside Kane, there are Michael Olise, Luis Díaz, Jamal Musiala, Serge Gnabry and Ismael Saibari. Joshua Kimmich and Aleksandar Pavlović remain in midfield, while the back line features Jonathan Tah, Dayot Upamecano, Alphonso Davies and Josip Stanišić.
Bayern's preparations: victories and ever-increasing attacking depth
Bayern ended their summer preparations with a 4:2 victory away at 1. FC Heidenheim. Vincent Kompany's team were trailing 2:1 at half-time before completely turning the match around in the second half. Luis Díaz and Nathaniel Brown scored in the victory, while Harry Kane, Michael Olise and Dayot Upamecano recorded their first pre-season minutes after joining the team later.
Before that, Bayern defeated RB Leipzig 3:1 at the Allianz Arena. Luis Díaz, Brown and Musiala were the scorers. Both matches showed the same pattern: Bayern can put an opponent under pressure for long periods, but they leave space if they lose the ball high up the pitch. Heidenheim scored their first goal precisely after such a transition.
Bayern's last five pre-season results before their first competitive appearance:
- 1. FC Heidenheim - Bayern Munich 2:4
- Bayern Munich - RB Leipzig 3:1
- Bayern Munich - Aston Villa 2:1
- Jeju SK FC - Bayern Munich 1:2
- FC Rottach-Egern - Bayern Munich 0:15
Stuttgart's preparations: a good run, then a warning in London
Before their final test, Stuttgart had four wins and one draw, and then defeated Everton 3:1 at the MHP Arena. Nikolas Nartey opened the scoring, Ramon Hendriks scored with a header after a corner, and Badredine Bouanani finished the job in stoppage time.
The final public test brought a 1:0 defeat away at Fulham. Stuttgart started well, but had to spend much of the match defending. Fabian Bredlow made several important saves, and the only goal was conceded from a header after a corner. On the same day, Stuttgart's second line-up defeated Fulham 2:0 in a behind-closed-doors test.
Key players who can change the match
Harry Kane remains the primary reference point of Bayern's attack. His 36 league goals from last season say enough about his finishing, but against Stuttgart the more recent context is also important. In the German Cup final in May 2026, he scored all three goals in Bayern's 3:0 victory, and in December 2025 he also scored a hat-trick in the 5:0 league victory in Stuttgart.
Luis Díaz enters the new season in very good individual form. By mid-August, he had made 51 competitive appearances for Bayern, scoring 26 goals and providing 23 assists. He scored against RB Leipzig and Heidenheim in the closing stage of the preparations. Michael Olise brings creativity between the lines and assisted Díaz in Heidenheim for the goal that gave Bayern the lead.
For Stuttgart, Angelo Stiller is crucial for playing out of pressure. Chris Führich provides direct penetration, while Deniz Undav and Ermedin Demirovic offer different options in the final third. Bouanani showed during the preparations that he can provide the final pass or finish a move himself.
Absences and statuses worth monitoring
There is still more than a week until the match, and both teams have competitive commitments before then. Stuttgart play a cup match away at Hansa Rostock on 21 August, while Bayern visit Borussia Dortmund the following day in the Franz Beckenbauer Supercup. The injury situation can therefore still change.
Stuttgart's clearest confirmed absences are goalkeeper Dennis Seimen and forward Justin Diehl. Both suffered thigh muscle injuries, and the club announced that they will be unavailable at least until the international break at the end of September. That gives Bredlow an important role at the start of the season.
Several statuses need to be monitored at Bayern. Konrad Laimer had to come off after only ten minutes of the friendly against RB Leipzig, with no precise return date published in that report. Jamal Musiala publicly announced after two health incidents during the preparations that it was a temporary and treatable neurological problem. His status for Stuttgart should therefore not be assumed in advance, but checked immediately before the match.
Head-to-head record: Stuttgart looking to end Bayern's run
The current league overview ahead of the season opener lists 132 competitive meetings between these two clubs in the Bundesliga era, with 88 Bayern victories and 22 Stuttgart victories. Bayern have won the last six head-to-head matches.
The five most recent results show the balance of power in the latest period particularly clearly:
- Bayern Munich - VfB Stuttgart 3:0, 2026 German Cup final.
- Bayern Munich - VfB Stuttgart 4:2, Bundesliga 2025/2026.
- VfB Stuttgart - Bayern Munich 0:5, Bundesliga 2025/2026.
- VfB Stuttgart - Bayern Munich 1:2, Franz Beckenbauer Supercup 2025.
- VfB Stuttgart - Bayern Munich 1:3, Bundesliga 2024/2025.
The 4:2 victory in April 2026 carried additional significance because Bayern secured the league title with precisely that result. A few weeks later came the 3:0 victory in the cup final. Stuttgart therefore arrive in Munich to face an opponent that very recently took both points and two major trophy opportunities away from them.
How the match could look tactically
Under Kompany, Bayern want possession, a high starting position for the defensive line and quick ball recovery after losing possession. In the final test against Heidenheim, they had 76 percent possession at half-time but were nevertheless trailing 2:1. In the second half, following substitutions, Bayern raised the tempo and for long periods kept almost all of their players deep in the opposition half.
For Stuttgart, the first half of that match is an interesting model. If Stiller and his midfield partners manage to play the first pass under pressure, space can open up for Führich, Bouanani or another quick wide option. The risk is considerable: losing the ball in the middle zone against Kimmich, Olise and Díaz can turn Stuttgart's attack into a Bayern finish within a few seconds.
Another detail is set pieces. Stuttgart scored from a corner against Everton through Hendriks, while against Fulham they conceded the decisive goal also following a corner. Against Bayern, defending the second ball will be just as important as the first aerial duel.
Allianz Arena: what to know before arriving
The Allianz Arena has a total capacity of 75,000 and fully covered stands. The stadium is located in the northern part of Munich, in Fröttmaning, next to a large parking complex and with a direct underground connection. The stadium currently lists its address as Franz-Beckenbauer-Platz 5, 80939 München, while Werner-Heisenberg-Allee 25 may appear as the previous address.
For a match starting at 20:30, it is worth planning to arrive considerably earlier. The Arena generally opens its entrances two and a half hours before kick-off, which for this time would mean around 18:00, unless a different arrangement is announced for the specific match.
The most important practical information:
- Public transport: U6 to Fröttmaning station, then walk across the Esplanade towards the stadium.
- From central Munich: from Marienplatz, the U6 journey to Fröttmaning takes around 16 minutes.
- Parking: the first car park on matchday opens from 08:00, but long waits can develop when leaving after the match.
- Away supporters: from Fröttmaning station they are directed towards a dedicated entrance on the north-western side of the Arena.
- By car: traffic around the stadium after major matches can take hours to clear, so public transport is often the more practical option.
Bayern filled the stadium with 75,000 spectators for the friendly against RB Leipzig in mid-August, so it is reasonable to expect a very heavy influx of spectators for the Bundesliga opener as well.
Seats in the stands disappear quickly, and arriving earlier reduces the risk of congestion on the approaches and at security checks.
Atmosphere and rhythm of the evening
The league opener has a different rhythm from an ordinary round. There are no simultaneous matches to divide attention, and both clubs arrive with very clear stories from the previous season. Bayern present themselves as defending champions and as the team that finished the previous league campaign with only one defeat. Stuttgart arrive as the fourth-placed club and as an opponent that showed it can remain among the best throughout the entire season.
For Stuttgart, the more recent history of this fixture adds extra intensity. The 5:0, 4:2 and 3:0 defeats give Hoeneß's team a concrete reason to seek a different kind of match.
Bayern will try to do the opposite: with early pressure and long phases of possession, turn the season opener into an evening in which play takes place mainly towards Stuttgart's goal. Kane's finishing, Olise's creativity and Díaz's form give the home side several different routes to goal.
It is worth securing tickets in good time and planning to arrive with enough time in reserve, especially for visitors coming to the Allianz Arena for the first time.
What to follow in the days before the match
The most important information will not be final on 20 August. Stuttgart first play in Rostock, and Bayern then play the Supercup in Dortmund. Those two matches can change the assessment of form, player availability and the starting line-ups for 28 August.
Musiala's status, Laimer's recovery and the condition of Stuttgart's defence should be monitored in particular. For Bayern, it will also be important how many minutes Kane, Olise and Upamecano receive against Dortmund after joining preparations later.
For a supporter travelling to Munich, the most useful approach is to make a final check immediately before departure: confirm the entrance opening time, any special traffic instructions and the latest team news. The starting point is already clear - the defending champions against last season's fourth-placed team, under the floodlights, in the first 90 minutes of the new Bundesliga season.
Sources:
- Bundesliga.com - season-opening schedule, final 2025/2026 standings, head-to-head record and latest Bayern Munich - VfB Stuttgart results.
- FC Bayern - confirmation of the match date and time, current squad, preparation reports against RB Leipzig and 1. FC Heidenheim, and data on Harry Kane and Luis Díaz.
- VfB Stuttgart - current squad, preparation matches against Everton and Fulham, and confirmed injuries to Dennis Seimen and Justin Diehl.
- Allianz Arena - stadium capacity, current address, arrival by public transport, parking, access for away supporters and matchday organisation.
- The Times and talkSPORT - the latest publicly available information on Jamal Musiala's health status during the final stage of preparations.