It has been a strong start to the season for defending champions Bayern Munich

It has been a strong start to the season for defending champions Bayern Munich, as they now welcome newly-promoted Hamburg to the Allianz Arena in Bavaria this weekend.

In their opening game of the 2025/26 season, Vincent Kompany won his second trophy as Bayern Munich defeated Stuttgart in the DFL-Supercup, and they also managed to edge past Wehen Wiesbaden in the first round of the DFB-Pokal a week or so later.

In the Bundesliga, the Bavarians annihilated RB Leipzig by six goals to nil, before they then went to the Augsburg Arena and win by three goals to two, having been 3-0 up. Harry Kane has already scored six goals in four matches across all competitions.

Hamburg preview: Need to improve

Having gained promotion to the top-flight of German football once again, after far too long away and in the 2. Bundesliga, Hamburg have collected just a solitary point from their opening two matches of the campaign.

Hamburg started the season with a goalless draw at the Borussia-Park against Borussia Monchengladbach, before they then suffered a lacklustre defeat at home to arch-rivals St Pauli in the Hamburg derby at the Volksparkstadion a couple of weeks ago.

Bayern Munich team news: A few absentees

Nicolas Jackson is now a Bayern Munich player, but he is still expected to be a back-up to Harry Kane. They have some confirmed absentees, such as Hiroki Ito, Alphonso Davies and Jamal Musiala.

Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Neuer; Laimer, Tah, Upamecano, Guerreiro; Kimmich, Goretzka; Olise, Gnabry, Luis Diaz; Kane.

Hamburg team news: Gocholeishvili suspended

In that defeat to St Pauli, Giorgi Gocholeishvili was sent off and he is now missing through suspension. It remains likely that Albert Sambi Lokonga and Fabio Vieira begin their Hamburg careers on the bench.

Predicted XI (3-4-3): Fernandes; Omari, Elfadli, Soumahoro; Mikelbrencis, Remberg, Nicolas Capaldo, Muheim; Sahiti, Konigsdorffer, Rossing-Lelesiit.