Bayern Rout Stuttgart in 5-1 Opener
- Bayern Munich defeated Stuttgart 5-1 in the opening match of the 64th Bundesliga season, with Joshua Kimmich providing two assists despite playing through a bleeding ankle injury.
- Manuel Neuer made his 600th competitive appearance for Bayern and began a record-extending 21st consecutive Bundesliga season as the club also set a new record for most
- New Germany head coach Jürgen Klopp attended in an official capacity for the first time and confirmed he will visit Bayern's training ground on Sunday for talks with international
Bayern Munich launched their 64th Bundesliga campaign with a resounding 5-1 victory over VfB Stuttgart on Thursday evening, with Joshua Kimmich the defining figure of an evening that also brought Germany's new national manager Jürgen Klopp to the stands for the first time in an official capacity.
Kimmich Plays Through Injury to Orchestrate Victory
The 31-year-old Kimmich was central to Bayern's dominance despite sustaining a bleeding ankle wound in a challenge with Stuttgart's Tiago Tomás early in the match — an incident that drew no card from the referee. Kimmich played on regardless, providing the sharp corner that Dayot Upamecano headed home for the opening goal in the 21st minute, the first Bundesliga goal of the new season. He then split the defence to set up Michael Olise, who finished coolly for 2-1 in the 55th minute. It was the second time in the match Kimmich's decisive contribution had gone beyond a simple pass, and he left the pitch with his sock soaked in blood.
Stuttgart had offered genuine resistance in the opening exchanges. Tomás struck the crossbar in the 12th minute and Olise rattled the post with a free kick five minutes later. After the interval, Stuttgart equalised through Joël Vagnoman (52nd minute), Manuel Neuer having earlier made a fine save to deny another Stuttgart effort. Bayern's response was swift and clinical: Olise restored the lead within three minutes, and Vagnoman then turned a Alphonso Davies cross into his own net to make it 3-1 in the 57th minute. Substitute Saibari laid on Pavlovic's 4-1 in the 82nd minute before Luis Diaz, again assisted by Saibari, completed the scoring in stoppage time.
Records for Neuer and the Club
The occasion carried additional statistical milestones. Manuel Neuer made his 600th competitive appearance for Bayern and simultaneously began his 21st consecutive Bundesliga season — a record in its own right. The club itself set another benchmark: by providing the Bundesliga's first goalscorer of the season for the 20th time, Bayern extended their own record.
Klopp Takes Notes from the Stands
Watching from the directors' area alongside DFB president Bernd Neuendorf and co-trainer Peter Krawietz, Klopp observed a wealth of international players in action on his first official evening as Germany head coach. Speaking to a broadcaster, he confirmed plans to visit Bayern's training facilities: "I'll be at Bayern's training ground on Sunday to meet players and simply get to know how things work. Those will be important conversations." Asked when he expected to see Jamal Musiala, Klopp replied with a smile: "Perhaps even this evening."
For Bayern, it was as near a perfect opening statement as the fixture list could provide. The manner of the second-half recovery — four goals without reply after Stuttgart's equaliser — will offer encouragement ahead of a title defence that Klopp, now charged with assembling a national squad from the same pool of players, will monitor closely.
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