Tactics
Now in his second season as Bayern head coach, Vincent Kompany normally deploys a 4-2-3-1 system. With an average of 63.1%, the Munich side have had the most possession in the Bundesliga ahead of Borussia Dortmund (60.4%) and Eintracht Frankfurt (58.9%). Notably, the German record champions only contest 84 tackles per game, the second-lowest average in the league. The principle is control through pressing and then ball circulation, while keeping the opponents as far away from the goal as possible. Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer has picked the ball out of his net just three times in the league so far – the joint-best figure with Dortmund.
“It doesn’t make a lot of sense to just focus on one player,” stressed head coach Dino Toppmöller ahead of Saturday evening’s clash. “Bayern have got top-quality players in every position. They have a good game plan and the way they’ve dominated every opponent this season – including Chelsea – has been impressive.” The Reds have a perfect record of nine wins from nine competitive matches.
“We have to defend more as a team against Bayern, afford them little space and commit to the duels,” added Eintracht captain Robin Koch.
Absentees
Rasmus Kristensen and Jessic Ngankam are sidelined for the Eagles through injury.
Bayern are without Jonas Urbig, Hiroki Ito, Josip Stanisic, Alphonso Davies and Jamal Musiala (all injured).
One to watch: Harry Kane
Goalscorer, playmaker, team player: Harry Kane is the figurehead of the current Bayern attack. The 32-year-old has delivered 10 goals and three assists in the first five matchdays of this campaign – numbers last achieved on this scale by Robert Lewandowski (2020/21) and Serhou Guirassy (2023/24), and numbers that have not only seen him race ahead at the top of the goalscoring charts, but also make him the focal point of the Bavarian attacking machine. In all competitions it’s 16 goals for Kane in 2025/26, and 102 strikes in 105 competitive appearances since his move to Germany in 2023.
The England captain is much more than a classic poacher. He likes to drop back in order to run at the defence at speed, and he also carries out defensive duties. Kane…
- …has scored multiple goals in the last three Bundesliga games.
- ...has needed just 19 attempts for his 10 league goals this season.
- ...claimed the Bundesliga top scorer prize in 2023/24 with 36 goals and in 2024/25 with 26 goals.
- ...won the European Golden Shoe for the season before last.
- ...has scored 74 goals in 109 internationals for England, making him the Three Lions’ all-time top goalscorer.
Runs and stats
The Eagles have claimed three wins and a draw from their last six encounters with Bayern at Deutsche Bank Park, with an aggregate score of 16-13.
The last time Bayern won each of their opening five matches of a Bundesliga season was in 2016/17, when a 1-1 draw at home to 1. FC Köln followed on Matchday 6. It’s 10 years since they took maximum points from the first six games, during Pep Guardiola’s time in charge.
