POSITION
There were results that hadn't been seen for a long time in the Bavarian state capital: 2-0 defeats against Napoli and Inter Milan, a 3-0 reverse against Liverpool and even a 4-0 loss against AC Milan – a snapshot of the pre-season friendly record of the Reds from Munich that must have come as a massive surprise for many of their fans. But Bayern wouldn't be Bayern if they weren't fully back on form when it gets serious. In spite of going behind twice, Carlo Ancelotti's team came back to win the DFL Supercup against one of their toughest rivals of previous years, Borussia Dortmund. It is clear that is not supposed to be the last title to be won this season. Bayern are again the hot favourites to lift the league title and are happy to accept that role. "I think FC Bayern will be champions again," said coach Ancelotti, full of conviction. The first step towards that target is supposed to come on Friday against the Werkself.
PERSONNEL
Even after the retirement of the two top players Philipp Lahm and Xabi Alonso plus the departure of Douglas Costa, FCB have a squad that sets the standard in every position in the Bundesliga and they don't need to hide from any other team worldwide. The squad has also been strengthened during the summer break. The two German internationals from Hoffenheim, Niklas Süle and Sebastian Rudy, joined Bayern in the summer as did the talented French midfielder Corentin Tolisso from Lyon. The marquee signing was James Rodriguez: Ancelotti's key target is on loan for two years from Real Madrid with FC Bayern having an option to buy the reigning World Cup top goalscorer who misses the match against Bayer 04 due to a torn muscle.
PROBLEMS
Ignoring the rather bumpy pre-season, Bayern are confronted with the usual luxury problems: The pressure on the younger squad and the coach is enormous. The only thing that counts in Munich are victories, particularly after Ancelotti's first season that 'only' produced one title. One tricky situation this season could be the strength of the squad means that all the stars might not get their desired time on the pitch. In the year before a World Cup that is potentially a hot topic.
POTENTIAL
"I would be very happy if we become the champions." Rarely has Uli Hoeneß formulated his targets before start of the season in such a defensive manner. The 28th league title in the club's history, the sixth in succession, are a priority but the FCB president knows all too well himself: If the team find their best form in the crucial games in cup competitions and the star-studded ensemble can compensate for the departure of the experienced Lahm and Alonso then there is no target too high for the men from Munich.
PREDICTION
In spite of strong competition from Dortmund and Leipzig, FC Bayern appear to be on course to win the title again this season. At the same time, it does appear credible that the changes during the summer will not pass the team by in terms of results and their lead may not be as extensive as in recent years. However, it would be a huge surprise if the champions of Germany in 2018 were not called Bayern Munich in the end.
In their third friendly of this pre-season, Bayer 04 played on home soil for the first time – and won there too! The Werkself claimed a comfortable 4-0 victory against Belgian top-flight side KRC Genk at the Ulrich-Haberland-Stadion. Jeanuel Belocian (9’) and Nathan Tella (42’) gave a dominant Leverkusen a 2-0 lead at the break, which Afonso Moreira (51’) and Christian Kofane (53’) doubled after the break. Among the many second-half substitutions was Patrik Schick, who made his first friendly appearance of the summer.
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The Werkself are finally back. On Saturday 8 August, Bayer 04 kick off the 2026/27 campaign with their opening match. But there’s far more than just a double-header in store for Werkself supporters. True to the motto ‘One day. Two teams. One club’, the BayArena and the Ulrich Haberland Stadium will be transformed into a world of excitement.
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The Werkself continue their 2026/27 pre-season preparations with their third friendly against Belgian top-flight side KRC Genk at the Ulrich-Haberland-Stadion on Wednesday 29 July (kick-off 15:00 CEST). Werkself-TV is broadcasting the match live and in full in a stream from 14:50 CEST...
After the children from the Bayer 04 Football Academy grilled Janis Blaswich and Simeon Rapsch last week, another group of 20 young Werkself fans gathered at the BayArena press conference room on Tuesday afternoon, 28 July . This time, the kids directed their questions at Tim Oermann and Jonah Berghoff. Defender Oermann raved about his school days, whilst talented midfielder Berghoff revealed to the young footballers, amongst other things, who his favourite player is – and he is also at Bayer 04. To round things off, the pair naturally obliged with all requests for autographs and selfies.
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Bayer 04 are back on the pitch. Following the first training sessions, the Werkself play the first pre-season friendly on Saturday, July 18. The match against Oberliga club Sportfreunde Baumberg kicks off at 15:30 CEST in Monheim am Rhein. Fans unable to attend the match can watch head coach Carles Martínez’s first game in charge for free via a livestream at bayer04.de and on the Bayer 04 app, as well as on Werkself.tv (exclusively for members). Just log on and watch the games live. All the other Werkself preseason friendlies leading up to the 2026/27 season will also be streamed live for free.
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