Wolfsburg vs. Bayern Munich: team news, match stats & LIVE blog!
Vincent Kompany makes his Bundesliga debut as Bayern Munich head coach at Wolfsburg's Volkswagen-Arena on Sunday (kick-off: 3.30pm CEST).
>>> Click here for the Wolfsburg vs. Bayern Munich LIVE blog!
Latest
Hosts Wolfsburg finished 12th last term, after Ralph Hasenhüttl came in with eight games to go to steer them four points clear of the relegation zone. The Austrian tactician kicked off his first full season in charge with a 1-0 win away to fourth-tier Koblenz in the DFB Cup first round on Monday, Patrick Wimmer scoring the only goal of a keenly contested contest. Jakub Kaminski has been given a new lease of life under Hasenhüttl, the Polish winger producing three assists across his last four competitive starts. He's expected to retain his place on the left-hand side, with Joakim Mæhle and Rogério among the absentees. Summer signing Mathys Angely, midfielder Aster Vranckx and American winger Kevin Paredes also miss out among a lengthy list of injuries. However, forward Kevin Behrens may well make it, and new goalkeeper Kamil Grabara - a two-time Danish Superliga winner with Copenhagen in recent campaigns who kept a UEFA Champions League clean sheet in Munich last November - will start in the No.1 role previously held by Koen Casteels, now of the Saudi Pro League.
Bayern are also up and running, beating Bundesliga's 2 Ulm 4-0 in the DFB Cup to get the Kompany era off to a perfect start. The Belgian takes charge on the back of the record champions' first trophyless season since 2011/12, with the likes of Portugal midfielder João Palhinha and Olympic silver medal-winning winger Michael Olise brought in on the pitch as part of the summer rebuild. After producing an assist from the bench in Ulm, Olise opened the scoring as Bayern thumped Grasshoppers Zürich 4-0 in their final pre-season friendly on Tuesday. Harry Kane - who scored from the bench in the cup - was also on target after helping England reach the UEFA Euro 2024 final earlier in the summer. Olise and Palhinha may begin the Wolfsburg trip among the substitutes following a busy summer of international football, especially given the pre-season form of Mathys Tel, but fellow newcomer Hiroki Ito is unavailable. He's joined on the sidelines by Josip Stanišić - a domestic double winner whilst on loan at Bayer Leverkusen last season. Sacha Boey is expected to deputise at right-back. Raphaël Guerreiro and Alphonso Davies will also battle it out for the left-back berth.
Watch: The Kompany era begins
What's Your Reaction?
