Vincent Kompany takes FC Bayern into their first test of the new season on Saturday at 15.30 Uhr, with Wehen Wiesbaden the first opponent and FC Bayern TV Plus the only place to watch it live. It is the first public look at how Bayern will line up under their new coach, but it comes with a squad that is still far from full strength.
That is exactly why the match is drawing attention today. Bayern’s World Cup players are still on holiday, so only a few senior professionals are available, including Sven Ulreich, Tom Bischof, Arijon Ibrahimović, João Palhinha, Sacha Boey and Armindo Sieb. Bryan Zaragoza is out with inflammation in his knee, which leaves Kompany to lean on the Bayern-Campus and give young players a real chance in front of the coach in his first test as Bayern’s boss.
The club has priced that first glimpse at four Euro a month on FC Bayern TV Plus, with a six-month package at 20 Euro and a one-year subscription at 36 Euro. For fans without a ticket, the pay platform is the only way to see whether Bayern’s early shape under Kompany already looks settled or still needs work. Maycon Cardozo, Bastian Assomo, Guido Della Rovere and Filip Pavic are among the young players in position to get minutes, and the mix of senior names and Campus talent should tell as much about Bayern’s depth as about the result.
That balance is also what makes the day more than a routine friendly. Bayern’s first preseason test is being used as a showcase, yet the missing regulars mean Kompany is effectively building a matchday group out of fragments: a few established pros, a handful of players who need rhythm, and the next wave from the Bayern-Campus. The second test comes quickly on Thursday at 18 Uhr against 1. FC Rottach-Egern at the Sportplatz am Birkenmoos, and Bayern then move through a packed schedule that includes Jeju SK on 4 August, Aston Villa in Hongkong on 7 August, RB Leipzig in the Telekom Cup on 15 August and Dortmund in the Supercup on 22 August.
So the point of Wehen Wiesbaden vs Bayern is not the scoreline alone. It is whether Kompany can already make a shortened, makeshift squad look like the beginning of a proper team before the calendar tightens and the tests become harder to manage.
