Bayern Munich hosts Stuttgart in Bundesliga season opener

The Bundesliga kicks off, and it does so with the defending champion setting the bar high right from the first minute. Bayern Munich hosts Stuttgart at the Allianz Arena this Friday, August 28, in a match that officially opens the German league season. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. (Argentina, Uruguay and Chile time) and 1:30 p.m. (Colombia, Peru and Ecuador), with live coverage on Disney+ for South America.

Why pay attention to a Matchday 1 fixture? Because Bayern isn't showing up empty handed: the club lifted the German Supercup just days ago, beating Borussia Dortmund 2-1 with goals from Brown and Olise. In other words, the Munich side has already tasted victory this season and wants that momentum to carry over into the league it currently rules as defending champion. On the other side, Stuttgart didn't arrive empty handed either: the club thrashed Rostock 4-0 in the German Cup, with one player stealing the show.

Names to watch

For Bayern, all eyes are on Michael Olise, who scored a goal and provided an assist in the final against Dortmund and was one of the Bavarian side's standout performers last season. Luis Diaz also left a strong impression in that match, so the home team's attack doesn't appear to lack for options.

But if there's one name that could give the Bavarian defense trouble this afternoon, it's Dzenan Pejcinovic. The Stuttgart forward scored a hat trick against Rostock and arrives full of confidence for his league debut. That's not a small detail for a Bayern side that knows the last time these two teams met, the story played out very differently.

That direct precedent has a name attached to it: Harry Kane. The Englishman scored a hat trick against Stuttgart in the German Cup final, a match that ended 3-0 in favor of the Munich side. With that memory still fresh, Stuttgart arrives needing to prove it can stand up to the champion right from the start of the season, something that hasn't come easy in recent visits.

With a Bayern side riding high after its Supercup title and a Stuttgart squad eager to erase the memory of that cup final, Friday promises an interesting opening chapter for a Bundesliga season that's just getting started.