RB Leipzig vs Bayern Munich: Lineups, team news, injuries, plans for Sadio Mane, & more! (Updated)

Is the DFL-Supercup the last game of preseason, or the first game of the season? It’s hard to be certain, but one thing is for sure — Bayern Munich want to win it. Julian Nagelsmann once again faces off against his former team RB Leipzig, who have survived the transfer season with most of their squad intact (so far).

Under Domenico Tedesco, Lawnball have been one of the most consistent teams in Germany — arguably more consistent than Bayern. Beating them will be no easy task, and the game should provide a window into the tactics Nagelsmann intends to deploy for the upcoming season.

Team news

Leon Goretzka will miss the game due to a knee injury, while new signing Mathys Tel has yet to be registered because UEFA are lazy. Otherwise, Bayern come into the game with a mostly intact squad. Kingsley Coman, who spent most of the week working individually, should be available for the game. His red card suspension from last season won’t come into effect until the Frankfurt game next week.

So, what will the lineup look like? Well, there’s no Robert Lewandowski for starters. Instead, Julian Nagelsmann said that Sadio Mane will be played as a striker, and we’re inclined to believe him on that front. Joining him will likely be Thomas Muller, with Serge Gnabry and Kingsley Coman on the flanks. It’s actually hard to predict how the attack will shape up given the little we’ve seen of Bayern so far this season, so we just have to assume the most likely setup. That means a standard 4-2-3-1 with two wingers.

In midfield, Goretzka’s absence means Marcel Sabitzer could get a chance to shine. The Austrian is running out of time to impress the bosses as reports indicate he could be sold this summer to finance a move for Konrad Laimer. Deployed next to Joshua Kimmich in a pivot, Sabitzer will hope to continue his good form from preseason and show that he deserves another chance to cement his spot at Bayern Munich.

The defense is an interesting one since we could see up to two new signings start the game. Noussair Mazaraoui and Matthijs de Ligt may slot into the right-back and right center-back positions respectively, with Alphonso Davies at left-back and Lucas Hernandez at left center-back rounding out the backline. With Manuel Neuer, Bayern should have a defense capable of stopping whatever RB Leipzig throw at them. Whether that will result in a clean sheet or not remains to be seen.

Here’s what the starting XI could look like tomorrow:

Update

Sky Sports predicts a 4-2-2-2 formation with Leroy Sane and Thomas Muller starting behind a strike pairing of Sadio Mane and Serge Gnabry. Meanwhile, Upamecano and Pavard play instead of De Ligt and Mazraoui. Disappointing if true — would be nice to see more new signings play this game.

Looking for a more in-depth preview of the game? Why not check out our preview podcast? Listen to it below or at this link.

And PLEASE, if you like what you hear, vote for us on the World Soccer Talk — Best Club Podcast award. Go on that page and vote for Bavarian Football Works. We cannot lose to a Spurs pod!