15:27
The game’s referee is Christian Dingert, who is leading the two teams into the Allianz Arena at this moment. You can start with the southern summit soon!
15:25
The list of absentees is longer for the guests: Coulibaly and Nartey are still injured, Pfeiffer (red before two games) and Vagnoman (yellow-red in the last duel) are serving a suspension. Führich and Egloff will also not start, for them it is on the bench. Three players are new to the starting XI that are not quite in position: Karazor will play in midfield, Tiago Tomás and the starting XI debutant on the Stuttgart sides, Serhou Guirassy, in attack.
15:19
He needs to be replaced, plus there are five other changes – as announced by Nagelsmann, after the successful Champions League start with the 2-0 away win at Inter Milan, there will be a lot of rotation. Pavard, Hernandez, Sabitzer, Sané and Mané sit on the bench for the time being. Mazraoui and Upamecano rotate into the back line, Goretzka and Musiala into midfield. The dual leadership will be formed by Gnabry and new signing Mathys Tel, who is celebrating his league debut for Bayern today at the young age of 17.
15:17
Bad news for Bayern yesterday: Kingsley Coman sustained a muscle injury. At first, a month-long absence was not ruled out, but then the certainty that things wouldn’t get that bad: The Frenchman will be out for at least two weeks with a torn muscle fiber in his right thigh.
15:14
Before the duel, VfB coach Matarazzo emphasized the opponent’s strength in counter-pressing, in addition to the greater variability due to the new signings. Therefore, his team “must be extremely attentive in the switching movement in both directions.”
15:12
The two coaches will see each other again: Pellegrino Matarazzo worked as Hoffenheim’s assistant coach under Julian Nagelsmann in 2018 and 2019, and the two get along well with each other. The FCB coach gave a wink at the press conference: “I always had him send me the plans for how he would play against Bayern. But he doesn’t send them anymore, so I have to figure it out myself now.”
15:04
The Stuttgarters are difficult to assess. In the run-up to the game, Nagelsmann praised the opponent’s more efficient approach: “They no longer die in beauty like they did last year” and “would no longer combine the hell out of it.”
15:00
Today’s Bayern opponent Stuttgart is also almost unbeaten. VfB have only suffered one defeat to date – a 1-0 defeat at home against current leaders SC Freiburg. The downside of the coin: after five games, the Swabians are still without a win. The draw machine from Stuttgart drew against RB Leipzig (1:1) and in the goalless game in Cologne as well as against the two promoted teams from Schalke (1:1) and Bremen (2:2). Four points from the first five games currently ensure twelfth place.
14:56
The bottom line is that Bayern got off to a solid start to the season. After eight games in all competitions, the Munich team is still unbeaten, the two draws mentioned were disappointing, but they are also faced with six clear wins each. A strong 27 goals in these six successes makes an average of about 4.5 goals per duel – the two 1-1 draws pull this down to 3.6. Nevertheless: In the Bundesliga, FCB is now “challenged because we are not where we want to be in the table,” said Nagelsmann.
14:48
Two 1-1 draws in the last two league games have caused FCB to lose their place in the sun – the first against feared opponents Gladbach, the second against 1. FC Union Berlin, which started well. In view of the 35:5 shots on goal against the Foals and 21:10 against the Irons, the final results were not quite fair. But in the end it doesn’t matter – there are four points that Bayern are missing.
14:40
After two points in a row, FC Bayern is under pressure against the Swabians. The record champions lost their lead in the table to SC Freiburg on the last day of the game, and BVB also overtook them. While Dortmund’s Borussia is also challenged in an explosive duel with ex-coach Marco Rose at RB Leipzig, it’s Freiburg’s turn tomorrow and welcome Gladbach.
14:30
Servus and a warm welcome to the sixth Bundesliga matchday! As the third team in a row, VfB Stuttgart would like to take points against Bayern. In the Allianz Arena, this mission begins at the classic kick-off time of 3:30 p.m.!