On Saturday, RB Leipzig and Bayern Munich go head-to-head in the DFL-Supercup – six days before the 2022/23 Bundesliga season gets underway.
Bayern booked their place in the DFL-Supercup after winning yet another Bundesliga title. Meanwhile, Leipzig won the DFL-Pokal to punch their ticket to the showpiece.
Sadio Mané and @mdeligt_04 put in an extra shift at Säbener this morning! 💪 #MiaSanMia— FC Bayern Munich (@FCBayernEN) July 25, 2022
Sadio Mané and @mdeligt_04 put in an extra shift at Säbener this morning! 💪 #MiaSanMia
Although the DFL-Supercup is not regarded as a hugely prestigious award, both sides will be eager to secure the silverware in order to kick off the campaign on a positive note.
Following their DFL-Pokal triumph last season, this is Leipzig’s maiden DFL-Supercup. Since the Red Bulls were only founded 13 years ago, the Pokal was their first major title.
Leipzig beat the likes of Hannover 96 and Union Berlin en route to the DFL-Pokal final before beating SC Freiburg on penalties to lift the trophy.
In the Bundesliga, Domenico Tedesco’s men finished fourth – 19 points behind Bayern – after recording 17 wins, seven draws and ten losses.
The Red Bulls have played two pre-season friendlies, beating Southampton 3-1 before suffering a 5-0 thrashing at the hands of Liverpool last time out.
Funnily enough, Bayern have also lost to Liverpool recently – suffering a 1-0 defeat to the Premier League side last week.
In their other pre-season friendly, however, the Bavarians crushed MLS outfit DC United 6-2. You can’t read too much into that result, though.
Bayern lost just five of their 34 Bundesliga games last term, picking up 24 wins and five draws along the way. They also scored a whopping 97 goals in the process.
The Bavarians have reached the past ten DFL-Supercups, winning five of the previous six. They have reached 15 overall, winning nine and losing six.
Head-to-head: Bayern did the league double over Leipzig last season, clinching a 4-1 away victory before winning 3-2 on home soil.
Bayern are currently enjoying a nine-game unbeaten streak against Leipzig in all competitions, having sealed five wins and four draws since their last loss to Leipzig.
Team news: Leipzig look set to start the season without the injured attacking duo of Yussuf Poulsen and Alexander Sorloth.
Bayern have one injury absentee at the moment, as Leon Goretzka continues to recover from knee surgery. The midfielder is expected to return in September.
Given what Bayern have achieved in the DFL-Supercup in recent years, the Bundesliga champions are expected to dispatch the DFL-Pokal holders.
Forebet predicts that Bayern Munich will score over 3.5 goals on their way to thrashing RB Leipzig on Saturday