Augsburg vs. Bayern Munich preview: The Return of an old acquaintance | OneFootball

Augsburg's WWK Arena will play host to one of the Bundesliga’s most intriguing early-season fixtures: FC Augsburg vs. Bayern Munich. What might otherwise be a routine clash between the reigning champions and a side chasing mid-table stability, carries extra weight this time, thanks to the presence of Sandro Wagner on the Augsburg bench.

Wagner, a Munich native and product of Bayern’s academy, spent over a decade of his youth career at the club and returned later in his playing days to win the Bundesliga title in red. Now, just three months into his first top-flight head-coaching job, he finds himself preparing to face the club that shaped his career.

For Augsburg supporters, the appointment of Wagner in May was seen as a bold step toward a more progressive and attack-minded identity. For Bayern fans, Saturday will stir memories of a forward who once wore their shirt and now seeks to challenge their dominance.

Bayern’s relentless start to the season

Bayern Munich arrive in Augsburg brimming with confidence. Under Vincent Kompany, the champions have looked ruthless in the first game of the Bundesliga season, sweeping aside RB Leipzig 6-0 in the opening game. Not even the news surrounding Nick Woltemade have disturbed the team.

However, Bayern just managed to get past Wehen Wiesbaden in the DFB-Pokal. What is the game against Augsburg going to bring for the Rekordmeister?

Despite missing key names like Alphonso Davies and Jamal Musiala through injury, Bayern’s quality remains unmatched and Kompany’s emphasis on hunger and hard work has instilled a noticeable edge in his second season in Munich.

Harry Kane missed Bayern's training session ahead of the Bavarian clash and was rested - he will most likely make the game, meaning that Bayern will "only" miss the long term injured players for this match.

Augsburg’s New Identity

For Augsburg, the Wagner era has begun with optimism. His side opened the season with a 2-0 victory over Halle in the DFB-Pokal and backed that up with a surprising 3-1 away win at Freiburg! The new coach has pushed for a high-pressing, aggressive approach, something Augsburg fans have long desired but rarely seen in such a way.

Speaking ahead of the Bayern clash, Wagner did not shy away from his personal connection to the opponents: “I grew up with Bayern, spending over a decade there. But that doesn't matter for this match. My job is to lead Augsburg and we will face Bayern without any fear!”

On the pitch, the contrasts could not be bigger: Bayern will look to dominate possession, stretch Augsburg’s defensive lines, and rely on their lethal front three of Kane, Olise and Díaz. Augsburg meanwhile, will aim to disrupt Bayern’s rhythm with intensity, high press and sharp counter attacking, hoping to exploit any lapses at the back.

Augsburg will have to do without star player Alexis Claude-Maurice, who misses this game out injured. It's going to be interesting to see, whether Wagner will again refrain from using a “real” striker like Tietz or Mounié like he did against Freiburg.

Predicted lineups:

Bayern Munich (4-2-3-1):

Neuer - Laimer, Upamecano, Tah, Stanišić - Kimmich, Goretzka - Olise, Gnabry, Díaz - Kane

Kompany rotated the squad during the week against Wiesbaden and gave Neuer and Upamecano the game off, while Laimer, Stanišić, Goretzka and Gnabry only came on for the last 20 minutes. The starting eleven from above was the one against RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga opener - there are not really any reasons to change this winning team.

FC Augsburg (3-5-2):

Dahmen - Matsima, Gouweleeuw, Schlotterbeck - Wolf, Fellhauer, Jakić Massengo, Giannoulis - Kömür, Saad

Goalkeeper Dahmen, who was nominated for the German national team by Julian Nagelsmann during the week, and the centre-backs ahead of him are set to start like this against Bayern - just like they did against Freiburg, too. Wolf and Giannoulis both showed great performances in Augsburg's first Bundesliga game this season, meaning that they will be starting as well. The only real question is whether Wagner will continue his “no-real-striker” concept against Bayern or not.

FC Augsburg vs. FC Bayern is not only the battle of two teams who had a great start into the 2025/26 Bundesliga season - it's also the battle of a former world-class centre-back turned headcoach in Vincent Kompany versus a former world-class talker and class striker turned headcoach in Sandro Wagner - two of the youngest coaches in the Bundesliga right now! Let's see who comes out on top in the top game of the second matchday.