Friday, August 22 officially marks the start of the 2025/26 Bundesliga season, and it kicks off with a bang: in the opening match of Matchday 1 at the Allianz Arena, Bayern Munich will face RB Leipzig, two teams expected to fight for the top spots in the table. The Bavarians come into the new season once again as the team to beat, the number one favorite to win their second Bundesliga title in a row. Vincent Kompany’s men have already started where they left off, winning the German Super Cup by defeating Stuttgart, last season’s DFB Pokal winners. If last year Bayern proved to be unrivaled domestically, dominating the Bundesliga from start to finish, the same cannot be said about their international campaign, as they failed to go beyond the quarter-finals in both the Champions League and the Club World Cup. For Kompany, now in his second season in charge, the challenge is to maintain domestic dominance while significantly raising the bar in Europe by aiming at least for the Champions League semi-finals. RB Leipzig, on the other hand, disappointed last season, finishing seventh and missing out on European qualification. After several unsuccessful managerial changes, the Red Bulls have handed the reins to young coach Ole Werner, who finished eighth with Werder Bremen last season. The club’s stated goal is to return to the top tier of German football, securing a European spot by the end of the season. Despite selling Benjamin Sesko to Manchester United, Leipzig’s advantage will be playing only one game per week.

Bayern Munich's Recent Form and Key Stats

Bayern Munich have already lifted their first trophy of the season: on August 16, they beat Stuttgart 2-1 to win the 11th German Super Cup in their history. As usual, it was Harry Kane who opened the scoring, while Luis Diaz netted the winner on his debut for the Bavarians.

Compared to the end of last season, Kompany can count again on key players such as Upamecano, who had been out injured for a long time. However, Jamal Musiala and Alphonso Davies remain sidelined. Luis Diaz, brought in from Liverpool for a record €70 million, is expected to make his Bundesliga debut. Central defender Kim Min-Jae, who has been at the center of transfer rumors, could start from the bench.

RB Leipzig's Recent Form and Key Stats

After losing their last two summer friendlies against Atalanta and Lens, RB Leipzig bounced back by defeating Sandhausen 4-2 in the DFB Pokal first round. Despite trailing twice in the first half, they equalized through Diomande and Orban, going into halftime at 2-2. In the second half, Leipzig’s superior quality came through, with Banzuzi and Xavi Simons sealing the win and the qualification.

For his Bundesliga debut as Leipzig coach, Ole Werner has to deal with injuries to Klostermann and Henrichs, as well as youngsters Maksimovic and Gomis. In midfield, Vermeeren — signed from Atletico Madrid for €20 million — is pushing for a starting spot. In attack, with Sesko gone, the focal point should be Openda, flanked by new signing Bakayoko on the right and the talented Nusa on the left.

Bayern Munich vs RB Leipzig prediction and tactical overview

Matches between Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig have always been entertaining and full of goals. Last season, Bayern crushed Leipzig 5-1 in the first leg, while the return match ended in a thrilling 3-3 draw.

Looking at the last ten meetings between the two sides, nine have seen at least three total goals and both teams on the scoresheet. These are two offensively-minded teams, and considering the line-ups, another Over 2.5 goals match is very likely.

As for the final outcome, the BetMines algorithm favors the hosts, mainly due to their home advantage: Bayern have lost just one of their last thirteen Bundesliga matches at the Allianz Arena.

• Bayern Munich vs RB Leipzig prediction from the BetMines algorithm suggests an Over 2.5 goals match with a 59% probability.
  
  
• Bayern Munich vs RB Leipzig prediction from the BetMines algorithm suggests an Under 2.5 goals match with a 41% probability.

Probable lineups Bayern Munich vs RB Leipzig

BAYERN MUNICH (4-2-3-1): Neuer; Laimer, Upamecano, Tah, Stanisic; Kimmich, Goretzka; Gnabry, Olise, Diaz; Kane. Coach: Vincent Kompany.

RB LEIPZIG (4-2-3-1): Gulacsi; Baku, Orban, Lukeba, Raum; Seiwald, Schlager; Bakayoko, Xavi, Nusa; Openda. Coach: Ole Werner.