Bayern Munich begin their Bundesliga title defence against Stuttgart on Friday after a remarkable 2025/26 campaign in which they won the league and DFB-Pokal while also setting a scoring record. The Bavarians are now targeting another domestic clean sweep and a stronger Champions League run after falling to Paris Saint-Germain in last season’s semi-finals.
Vincent Kompany’s side finished last season with 122 Bundesliga goals and lost only once across 40 domestic matches. Harry Kane was central to that success, scoring 61 goals in all competitions, including a hat-trick against Stuttgart in the DFB-Pokal final.
Bayern have strengthened further during the summer, bringing in Moroccan midfielder Ismael Saibari and German defender Nathaniel Brown. Brown already made an impact by scoring in Bayern’s 2-1 victory over Borussia Dortmund in the German Super Cup, while Saibari adds more depth to Kompany’s attacking options.
Kane and Bayern are also looking beyond Germany. After missing out on the Champions League last season, the club sees another treble as a realistic objective, while the England striker enters the campaign after an outstanding individual season that earned him the European Golden Shoe.
The challengers have responded by reshaping their squads. Borussia Dortmund have invested heavily in younger players, while Bayer Leverkusen and RB Leipzig both begin the campaign with new coaches. Dortmund have added teenage prospects including Konstantinos Karetsas and Joane Gadou, alongside midfielder Giannis Konstantelias, as Niko Kovac attempts to close the considerable gap to Bayern.
Leverkusen are also attempting to rebuild under Carles Martínez, while Leipzig have appointed former River Plate coach Martín Demichelis. Leipzig face an additional challenge after selling Yan Diomande to Real Madrid, although they have brought back Christopher Nkunku on loan.
Stuttgart, meanwhile, have maintained much of the squad that helped them finish fourth last season and reach the German Cup final. They will open the new Bundesliga campaign at the Allianz Arena on Friday, August 28, with Bayern looking to immediately underline their status as the team to beat.
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