Bayern Munich target treble as their refreshed rivals prepare to bridge gap

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/bayern-munich/nVp0wiqd/"]Bayern[/a] host German Cup runners-up [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/vfb-stuttgart/nJQmYp1B/"]Stuttgart[/a] in [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/bayern-munich-nVp0wiqd/stuttgart-nJQmYp1B/?mid=xrtCcyAe"]Friday's opener[/a] after a successful 2025-26 campaign, winning the double and chalking up the fourth-best points tally in Bundesliga history.[/p][p]Flanked by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/olise-michael/E5pvwqkK/"]Michael Olise[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/diaz-luis/SKjMUHVm/"]Luis Diaz[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kane-harry/v5HSlEAa/"]Harry Kane[/a] helped barnstorming Bayern score a record-breaking 122 goals in 34 Bundesliga games.[/p][p]Double winners thanks to a Kane hat-trick in the Cup final against Stuttgart, Bayern lost just one of 40 domestic matches.[/p][image alt="Bayern vs Stuttgart win probability" id="471a4cbe-df80-48b1-88c3-854ab297bf78" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="d5ed2746-36cd-4b38-8dbb-bd4ab209233f" original-width="2160" original-height="2700" /][p]The Bavarian giants only met serious resistance in the Champions League, where they lost 6-5 on aggregate to eventual winners [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/psg/CjhkPw0k/"]Paris Saint-Germain[/a] in the semi-finals.[/p][p]As Bayern strengthened by adding Moroccan World Cup star [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/saibari-ismael/WzSmqNMQ/"]Ismael Saibari[/a] and Germany's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/brown-nathaniel/Kh5pWVDr/"]Nathaniel Brown[/a], their possible challengers have rung the changes.[/p][p]Both [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/bayer-leverkusen/4jcj2zMd/"]Bayer Leverkusen[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/rb-leipzig/KbS1suSm/"]RB Leipzig[/a] have new coaches, while [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/dortmund/nP1i5US1/"]Borussia Dortmund[/a] have spent big on youth as they try to mount a title push.[/p][p]Bayern beat Dortmund in Saturday's German Super Cup and again look hungry ahead of a long campaign.[/p][p]Speaking with AFP and other media after the match, Kane said the 2-1 win was about "sending a message" to their Bundesliga rivals.[/p][p][b]"We fell just short in the Champions League, but our momentum is to keep pushing, pushing each other, pushing this team to see how far we can go,"[/b] he said.[/p][p]"Our aim is to continue to dominate in Germany, and I think winning here is a great statement."[/p][p]Kane scored 61 goals in all competitions for Bayern last season.[/p][p]Famously without silverware until his move to Germany in 2023, the England captain has won three major trophies with Bayern and two Super Cups.[/p][p]He has extra incentive to start well this season, with the Ballon d'Or to be awarded in October in London.[/p][p]Bayern are adamant there should be only one recipient.[/p][p][b]"It can only be Harry Kane. We can just give it to Harry already," [/b]Bayern board member Rouven Kasper told AFP.[/p][embed guid="619f0842-1f10-4e03-8b10-62a536f5c845" url="https://x.com/Bundesliga_EN/status/2090008724865728861" social-type="twitter" /][p]Sporting director Christoph Freund said the 33-year-old striker "deserves to win the Ballon d'Or -- he had an outstanding season".[/p][p]Saibari's arrival has given Bayern enough depth to ease [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/musiala-jamal/nVzSNrOf/"]Jamal Musiala[/a] back into the starting XI, after the Germany international revealed he was suffering from a "neurological disorder".[/p][p]Musiala collapsed twice on the pitch in pre-season, but Bayern are confident the 23-year-old will recapture his old form.[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/news/bundesliga-2026-27-all-teams-matches-key-dates-tv-broadcasts/pAJzve3M/"]Find out everything there is to know about the 2026/27 Bundesliga season here[/a][/b].[/p][h2]Rivals shuffle deck[/h2][p]After several years of focusing on signing more experienced players, Dortmund have gone back to their old selves by bringing in unproven youngsters with high potential.[/p][p]Teenagers [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/karetsas-konstantinos/EBMZbxBK/"]Konstantinos Karetsas[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gadou-koukou/vq1r8p3m/"]Joane Gadou[/a] arrived in the summer alongside 23-year-old midfielder [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/konstantelias-ioannis/tMZOo2PB/"]Giannis Konstantelias[/a].[/p][p]Including midfielder [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/veerman-joey/AgXeAAQR/"]Joey Veerman[/a], Dortmund spent a reported 110 million euros ($128 million) this summer, roughly the same as Bayern's outlay on Saibari and Brown.[/p][embed guid="9d596ad6-83c5-4373-8f41-cef83722b441" url="https://x.com/BlackYellow/status/2091607352889802973" social-type="twitter" /][p]But Dortmund coach [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kovac-niko/C4T3u731/"]Niko Kovac[/a], who won the Bundesliga as Bayern coach in 2018-19, told AFP "a lot must happen" to close the gap.[/p][p][b]"We must play over our capacities, I would say. And then Bayern Munich play under their capacity,"[/b] Kovac said. [b]"But you can be sure we will try everything."[/b][/p][p]Stuttgart do not boast big-name arrivals but have managed to hold onto their stars for the first time since Sebastian Hoeness took over in 2023.[/p][p]Stuttgart have qualified for the Champions League in two of Hoeness's three full seasons at the helm.[/p][p]Leverkusen, title winners in 2023-24, have brought in Spanish coach Carles Martinez Novell to revive the rebuild started when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/alonso-xabi/hAcTWKKN/"]Xabi Alonoso[/a] left in 2025.[/p][p]Leipzig start the season under Argentine Martin Demichelis, who replaced [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/werner-ole/4fuCGs9P/"]Ole Werner[/a] despite the latter taking the Saxons to third spot and a return to the Champions League.[/p][p]They sold [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/diomande-yan/0p2ORrJi/"]Yan Diomande[/a] to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/real-madrid/W8mj7MDD/"]Real Madrid[/a] for 120 million euros and lack experience in their squad, despite bringing back [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/nkunku-christopher/8liaG2W0/"]Christopher Nkunku[/a] on a season-long loan from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/ac-milan/8Sa8HInO/"]AC Milan[/a].[/p][infobox id="88878301-8bdb-4612-a9bc-6f3281e6c6b5" /]