Bayern Munich vs Stuttgart: Kompany's Bold Decision on Saibari
Vincent Kompany has nailed his colours to the mast on opening night. For the first Bundesliga fixture of the season, against Stuttgart on Friday, the Bayern Munich coach has again left new signing Ismael Saibari among the substitutes.
The Moroccan midfielder, one of the club’s headline arrivals after standout performances for PSV Eindhoven and the Morocco national team, must wait once more. Just as in last weekend’s German Super Cup win over Borussia Dortmund, Kompany has opted for a surprise solution between midfield and attack.
Nathaniel Brown gets the nod in the attacking midfield role. On paper, he is a full-back. On the pitch, Kompany clearly sees something different – energy between the lines, aggression in the press, a runner to knit together an already star-studded front line.
Starting XI
The Bayern XI to face Stuttgart is loaded with familiar heavyweight names:
- Goalkeeper: Manuel Neuer
- Defence: Alphonso Davies, Kim Min-jae, Dayot Upamecano, Konrad Laimer
- Midfield: Aleksandar Pavlovic, Joshua Kimmich, Nathaniel Brown
- Attack: Luis Diaz, Michael Olise, Harry Kane
It is a side built to dominate the ball and pin Stuttgart back, with Kimmich and Pavlovic controlling the tempo and Kane flanked by the flair of Diaz and Olise. Brown’s inclusion adds a clear tactical wrinkle, a roaming threat behind Kane rather than a classic No 10.
Kompany has earned early credit. Bayern arrive at the Bundesliga’s curtain-raiser on the back of a 2-1 victory over Dortmund in the German Super Cup at Signal Iduna Park last Saturday, a statement start against their fiercest domestic rivals.
Now comes the next question: how long can a marquee signing like Saibari be kept waiting if this bold, reshaped Bayern keeps winning?
