The opening match of the 2025/26 Bundesliga season has been announced ahead of the full fixture list reveal. Reigning champions Bayern Munich will host rivals RB Leipzig at home on Friday, August 22nd.
Following tradition, the defending champions will open the season. This year features an exciting start as Vincent Kompany`s Bayern squad faces their notable rivals, Leipzig, setting the stage for what promises to be a thrilling campaign.
Bayern reclaimed the Bundesliga title last season, finishing ahead of 2023/24 champions Bayer Leverkusen. They secured 82 points and suffered only two defeats throughout the campaign, demonstrating their dominance.
While key players like Thomas Müller, Leroy Sané, and Eric Dier departed this summer, Bayern has reinforced their team with the significant signings of Jonathan Tah and Tom Bischof, aiming to maintain their strength.
In contrast, Leipzig had a disappointing 2024/25 season, finishing in seventh place and missing out on European qualification. This result fell short of the club`s usual high standards.
Following Marco Rose`s dismissal in March and Zsolt Lőw`s interim spell, Ole Werner has been appointed as Leipzig`s new head coach, taking charge at the Red Bull Arena. The club hopes his arrival will spark a turnaround.
Werner built a strong reputation during his three and a half years at Werder Bremen, guiding them back to the Bundesliga from the second division and showing consistent improvement with finishes of 13th, 9th, and 8th between 2023 and 2025.
With talents like Xavi, Loïs Openda, and Benjamin Šeško in the squad, expectations are high for Werner`s impact at Leipzig, as he looks to restore the team to European contention.
This new era for Leipzig begins with a challenging Matchday 1 fixture against the champions at Bayern`s iconic Allianz Arena.
In their 18 Bundesliga encounters, Bayern initially dominated (winning four of the first five), but Leipzig has since proven to be a difficult opponent for the Munich side, making their matchups highly competitive.
Their more recent history includes seven draws, such as a dramatic 3-3 draw last season. Notably, Leipzig secured a memorable 3-1 away win against Bayern in May 2023, overcoming a deficit with three goals in the second half.
RB Leipzig also claimed a decisive 3-0 victory in the 2023 Supercup, highlighted by a Dani Olmo hat-trick, spoiling Harry Kane`s first appearance for Bayern and adding another chapter to the rivalry.
This opening match is certainly one to watch! With a history of high-scoring games (averaging 3.5 goals per encounter) and star players like Kane, Jamal Musiala, and Michael Olise expected to feature, anticipate an exciting and unpredictable start to the season at the Allianz Arena.
