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The 2019/20 edition of the Bundesliga does not commence until the 16th of August but Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund will lock horns in the curtain-raiser, with the DFL-Supercup the prize for this one-off encounter.
Bayern beat Dortmund to lift the Meisterschale a seventh consecutive time in a Bundesliga title race that went all the way to the final matchday of the season. Die Roten accumulated a meager two points more than their perennial rivals and capped off an impressive season with a 3-0 win against RB Leipzig in the final of the DFB Pokal.
The German Supercup, as it's also referred to, is contested between the winners of the Bundesliga and the DFB Pokal from the previous season. As the Bavarian giants did the domestic double last season, Dortmund entered the competition by virtue of their second-place finish.
Both teams have added a handful of fresh faces and although the DFB-Supercup is not thought off in the highest of regards, the rivalry between the two sides will ensure a tightly-contested fixture.
As two of the most successful teams in the country go head-to-head in the first Der Klassiker of the season, tensions will flare as they look to start their campaign on a high.
Key Match Facts
Mats Hummels' first competitive outing since his return to Dortmund is against his former team.
Bayern Munich have won the German Supercup more times than any other club (7), closely followed by Borussia Dortmund (5).
Since the competition's re-introduction in 2010, the two teams have faced each other 5 times, with Bayern edging their rivals with 3 wins.
Signal Iduna Park, Dortmund's home turf, is set to host its fifth DFB-Supercup encounter and the two sides have won two games apiece at this venue.
Team News
With a full pre-season under their belts, players from both the sides are raring to go and both managers could look to give their new signings a run out in order to test their capabilities against a quality opposition.
Dortmund went unbeaten in pre-season, most notably beating European Champions Liverpool 3-2 and the likes of Thorgan Hazard, Nico Schulz, and Julian Brandt are expected to feature for the first time in a competitive encounter for their new club.
Lucas Hernandez, Jann-Fiete Arp, and Benjamin Pavard could all make their debuts for Bayern Munich and the likes of Sarpreet Singh and Alphonso Davies, who scored a cracking goal against Tottenham Hotspur in pre-season, could get valuable opportunities to impress Niko Kovac.
Lucas Hernandez, the club's record signing, is still recovering from a long-term injury and it remains to be seen if the World Cup winner is fit enough to make his debut for the Bavarians.
Predicted XI
Both teams are expected to field strong lineups as they look to gain bragging rights so early on in the season. The DFB-Supercup could also come as a valuable opportunity for new signings to stake a claim for a spot in the first team as the two favourites for the Bundesliga title go head-to-head against each other.
Bayern Munich Predicted XI - Manuel Neuer, Joshua Kimmich, Benjamin Pavard, Niklas Sule, David Alaba, Leon Goretzka, Thiago Alcantara, Thomas Muller, Kingsley Coman, Robert Lewandowski, Alphonso Davies
Borussia Dortmund Predicted XI - Marwin Hitz, Lukasz Piszczek, Mats Hummels, Manuel Akanji, Nico Schulz, Axel Witsel, Thomas Delaney, Raphael Guerreiro, Marco Reus, Jadon Sancho, Mario Gotze
