Bayern Munich has made the perfect start to the new Bundesliga season and leads the table after the first matchday. The record champions defeated VfB Stuttgart 5:1 on Friday, making an early statement. The podcast "Und nun zum Sport" by Süddeutsche Zeitung discussed the opener and how the club will compensate for the absence of Jamal Musiala in its Monday episode.
The weekly podcast is hosted by Jonas Beckenkamp and featured guests Christof Kneer and Philipp Schneider for this installment. Beckenkamp captured the mood: "Fußball ohne Trinkpausen, ohne Trump und Infantino, das ist – Sportinteressierte dürfen begeistert aufatmen – die Fußball-Bundesliga!" The episode is available on platforms like iTunes, Spotify, and RTL, as well as via the website www.sz.de/podcast.
How will Bayern replace the injured Musiala?
The major question after the first matchday revolves around the personnel options available to coach Vincent Kompany. The team is missing a key creative player in Jamal Musiala, who scored 10 goals and provided 6 assists last season. His injury forces the manager to adjust. Potential internal solutions include Kingsley Coman moving from the wing to the center or young Angelo Stiller, who impressed during pre-season.
Another option would be shifting Joshua Kimmich into a more advanced role, while the squad also lists Mathys Tel and Serge Gnabry as possibilities for the attacking midfield. The team must bridge this period, as Musiala's dynamism and dribbling are hard to replace. The coming weeks will show which solution Kompany favors.
What other results defined the matchday?
Aside from Bayern's clear victory, there were other notable results on the opening weekend. Particularly spectacular was Elversberg's 3:2 win against Bayer Leverkusen, a result that surprised many. Leverkusen, the defending champions, thus started the season with a defeat.
The complete table after the first matchday shows a tight field behind leaders Bayern. Fans can check the current standings anytime on our standings page. The early results suggest the league will remain exciting and competitive this season too.
What does the win mean for the season's planning?
The convincing opening win provides confidence for Vincent Kompany's team and validates the pre-season work. With three points and a goal difference of +4, the optimal foundation for the upcoming tasks has been laid. The team already showed good efficiency in front of goal in this first match.
It is now important to maintain this momentum. The next test comes this Saturday when Bayern travels to face Borussia Mönchengladbach. All upcoming fixtures for the first half of the season can be found on our fixtures overview. A look at the stats page reveals that Bayern also dominated statistically against Stuttgart, with 15 shots and 58% possession.
The focus is now fully on preparing for the match in Mönchengladbach, for which Kompany is expected to rely on the same defensive core. The defense around captain Manuel Neuer remained stable and focused for large stretches against Stuttgart.
