Who will win the first title of the season?
The second Bundesliga and the third division have resumed play. The first round of the DFB Cup will also take place this weekend, but the real football will be played on Saturday with the final of the DFL Supercup. Cup winners RB Leipzig welcome champions Bayern Munich to answer the question of who will win the first trophy of the 2022/23 season.
But it’s not just the first title of the new season that’s at stake on the pitch at the Red Bull Arena, it’s also the final assessment before the start of the Bundesliga next weekend. There will also be plenty of new top stars to watch. The Bullen have been rather modest on the transfer market so far, but Bayern have travelled through Europe with their money suitcase and have procured numerous new kickers.
With our tested betting providers, Bayern Munich is the relatively clear favourite in this duel. However, it will be interesting to see whether the new players will hit the ground running and show their class, or whether they will have problems settling in. On balance, however, the prediction in this Supercup between RB Leipzig and FC Bayern should go to a victory for the champions.
Before kick-off, there is still one point of contention. The defending champions from Munich would like to loosen Konrad Laimer from the Bullen. Whether that succeeds will probably not be decided by Saturday. The FCB’s interest, however, once again shows the old transfer tactic of weakening the emerging competition by poaching key players. Whether the Saxons will play with or without the Austrian – between RB Leipzig and Bayern, a tip on a success for the visitors seems to be the slightly better choice.
RB Leipzig – Statistics & current form
The transfer window is still open until the end of August. So far, however, the Bulls have given away significantly more players than they have brought in. Xaver Schlager from VfL Wolfsburg has been the Saxons’ top transfer so far. The bottom line, however, is a transfer plus of more than 50 million euros. It is conceivable that RB Leipzig will still take action and present new arrivals in the course of the next month.
Strong formation largely remained
At the moment, however, it can be assumed that Leipzig will once again have an extremely competitive squad this season, which is likely to have its strengths in the offensive this year. Therefore, the odds on goals from both teams in this Supercup between RB Leipzig and Bayern should also be taken into account.
The preparation was rather mixed for the Bullen. At least they managed a 3:1 win against Southampton FC. But where the Saxons stand in comparison to the international top teams was made clear by the 0:5 against Liverpool. On Saturday, however, the test matches will count for nothing anyway. Domenico Tedesco’s team will be able to see where they stand in the match against the champions.
In the first competitive match, it is always difficult to make concrete statements about the supposed line-up. Except for the attack, where Yussuf Poulsen and returnee Alexander Sörloth will be out injured, Domenico Tedesco has all players on board. It is conceivable, however, that Konrad Laimer will be on the bench to prevent injuries and perhaps also not to offer him the stage to further increase Bayern’s interest.
Predicted line-up of RB Leipzig:
Gulacsi – Simakan, Orban, Halstenberg – Schlager, Kampl, Henrichs, Klostermann – Nkunku, Forsberg – Silva – Coach: Tedesco
Last matches played by RB Leipzig:
Friendly club matches
21/07/2022 – RB Leipzig 0 – 5 FC Liverpool
16/07/2022 – RB Leipzig 3 – 1 Southampton
DFB Cup
22/05/2022 – SC Freiburg (2)1 – 1(4) RB Leipzig
Bundesliga
14/05/2022 – Arminia Bielefeld 1 – 1 RB Leipzig
09/05/2022 – RB Leipzig 4 – 0 Augsburg
Bayern – Statistics & current form
The Supercup in Leipzig will be Bayern’s first competitive match without Robert Lewandowski. But coach Julian Nagelsmann has a lot of newcomers with him. Ryan Gravenberch, Matthijs de Ligt, Noussair Mazraoui, Sadio Mane and Mathys Tel could already be in the game. It will be interesting to see how the new FC Bayern will present itself at the Red Bull Arena on Saturday.
Defending champions and record winners
The Bavarians have won the Supercup in the last two years. In general, the Munich team has brought this title to Säbener Straße in five of the last six editions. The FCB has a wealth of experience in major finals and therefore the prediction in this clash between RB Leipzig and FC Bayern should also go more in the direction of the Munich side.
However, the preparation was not perfect for FC Bayern either. As a global player, the German record champion had to present itself in the United States. The 6:2 victory against Washington DC United was nothing more than a casual warm-up. In the endurance test against Manchester City, however, Bayern subsequently lost 0:1, so that the mood was somewhat subdued.
There was a high turnover in the squad, so it remains to be seen who Julian Nagelsmann will put his trust in on Saturday. The only one who will certainly not be in the squad is the injured Leon Goretzka. It seems that Matthijs de Ligt’s fitness will not allow him to start from the beginning. Of the newcomers, Noussair Mazraoui and Sadio Mane are likely to have the best chance of starting. It is possible that Marcel Sabitzer, after a good preparation, will be preferred to Ryan Gravenberch in central midfield.
Bayern’s likely line-up:
Neuer – Davies, Hernandez, Upamecano, Mazraoui – Kimmich, Sabitzer – Mane, Müller, Coman – Gnabry – Coach: Nagelsmann
Last matches played by Bayern:
Club friendlies
24/07/2022 – Bayern Munich 0 – 1 Manchester City
21/07/2022 – DC United 2 – 6 Bayern Munich
Bundesliga
14/05/2022 – VfL Wolfsburg 2 – 2 Bayern Munich
08/05/2022 – Bayern Munich 2 – 2 VfB Stuttgart
30/04/2022 – Mainz 05 3 – 1 Bayern Munich
RB Leipzig – Bayern Direct comparison / H2H balance
RB Leipzig is still far too young as a sports club to call their clash against FC Bayern a classic. Certainly, however, this pairing has what it takes to become one at some point. To date, 14 games between the two rivals have been recorded in the history books of German football. The direct comparison, with 8:1 victories and five draws, is clearly in favour of Bayern.
The Saxons have now waited nine games for a win against the Munich side. Last season, the FCB won both Bundesliga games. The first was a 4:1 away win in Leipzig. The second leg in Munich was won by Bayern 3:2. We can imagine that both teams will meet on Saturday as well, but in the end the champion will win the title.
RB Leipzig – Bayern Tip
RB Leipzig have had a team together for years that is capable of causing FC Bayern trouble. It is not for nothing that they had to give away some players to the Isar with Joshua Kimmich, Marcel Sabitzer, Dayot Upamecano or coach Julian Nagelsmann. However, the Saxons tend not to take the last step in the last duels. In 14 games, RB only managed one victory against FC Bayern.
That also shows time and again that the Munich side are capable of stepping it up a notch in important matches, and that’s exactly what we expect on Saturday. Domenico Tedesco will once again prepare his team meticulously for the opponent.
In the end, though, the Supercup should go the way it has in the last two years and as it has in five of the last six editions. Bayern will probably win the first title of the new season and directly infect the newcomers with the “Mia san Mia” gene. We have decided to play the betting odds on a victory for the champions with goals from both teams in the duel RB Leipzig vs. FC Bayern.
