The long offseason is coming to a close, and it’s time for us to get a taste of what kind of mettle this new, reinvigorated Borussia Dortmund is made of. In one final tuneup before the season starts, Dortmund will have a chance to kick off the 2026-27 campaign with a win against a rival and a trophy, the Franz Beckenbauer Supercup.
While nominally something of a friendly, in practice these matches tend to be very competitive, almost as much as normal league matches. The lineups tend to be close to full
strength, and the players generally give it their all. At the very least, after a long summer without club football, they can be very entertaining.
For practical purposes, the Supercup could be especially important this year, because Niko Kovac will have to piece together all the club’s signings into a cohesive unit. He also has to get players who missed out on the midsummer friendlies with injuries up to speed. He can use tomorrow’s match as something of a last-minute dress rehearsal before true competitive games start.
Bayern Munich are in a similar position. While they will of course love to start the season with a major trophy, it is also a chance to get several players including Dayot Upamecano, Harry Kane, and Michael Olise, who spent most of the summer away from the club, meshed back into the squad before the season begins. It is also could be a chance for new signings Ismail Saibari and Nathaniel Brown to establish a foothold in the Starting XI.
Predicted Lineup
According to Ruhr Nachrichten, Maxi Beier and Waldemar Anton have overcome their minor knocks and are ready to return to the squad. Tomorrow’s match will also offer a debut for new signings Joey Veerman and Giannis Konstantelias, albeit not for the full 90 minutes. Nico Schlotterbeck will not be healthy until mid-September, so we will probably see a back line of Anton, Ramy Bensebaini, and newcomer Joane Gadou.
Some Things to Watch For:
- This will be the debut of the Felix Nmecha-Joey Veerman midfield, on which much of the club’s success this season will likely swing. Obviously, we shouldn’t expect them to click immediately without some rust, but it will be a huge test to see how well they can hold the ball against Bayern’s press.
- It’s time to see what Joane Gadou is made of. He’s looked really promising, yet also a little raw, in his friendlies so far, but he hasn’t faced anyone like Harry Kane or Michael Olise. Tomorrow will be a huge test to see if he’s ready to be a starting center-back in a big-five league.
- Is Karetsas up to the hype? Let’s find out!
Prediction
While I hate to be a pessimist, at the end of the day it’s just the Supercup. I think Bayern will have the edge, if only because they’re more used to playing with each other and are a lot more experienced. I think they’ll win it 3-2.
