The Bundesliga kicks off on Friday with Borussia Monchengladbach set to host Bayern Munich in the opening game.
Bayern Munich won the Bundesliga for the ninth consecutive time last season and will be looking to extend it to 10 this campaign.
Borussia Monchengladbach endured a disastrous ending to the Bundesliga last season which saw them fall out of the European spots. They finished eighth in the competition and will be looking to return to Europe next season under new boss Adolf Hutter.
Like their hosts, Bayern Munich will also begin the new campaign under a new manager. Former RB Leipzig boss Julian Nagelsmann is set to make his official managerial debut as Bayern Munich boss on Friday.
Nagelsmann was in charge of Bayern Munich during the pre-season but did not get the best of results. In the four friendlies Bayern Munich played, the Bavarians lost three and drew the other one. Julian Nagelsmann will be looking to change that when the season begins.
Borussia Monchengladbach vs Bayern Munich Head-to-Head
In the last 60 games between them, Bayern Munich have 25 wins and Borussia Monchengladbach have 15 wins, while there have been 20 draws.
The two sides last met in pre-season, with Borussia Monchengladbach winning 2-0. However, the last competitive meeting between the sides came in the Bundesliga last season, with Bayern Munich getting a 6-0 win over their visitors.
Borussia Monchengladbach Form Guide: yet to play
Bayern Munich Form Guide: yet to play.
Borussia Monchengladbach vs Bayern Munich Team News
Borussia Monchengladbach
Breel Embolo and Dennis Zakaria are injured and unavailable. Mamadou Doucoure and Kouadio Kone are also sidelined with injuries. Ramy Bensebaini and Marcus Thuram are major doubts for the game as both men struggle with injuries.
Injured: Breel Embolo, Dennis Zakaria, Mamadou Doucoure, Kouadio Kone
Doubtful: Ramy Bensebaini, Marcus Thuram
Suspended: None
Bayern Munich
Marc Roca and Lucas Hernandez are both out with injuries. Alphonso Davies, Omar Richards and Kingsley Coman are all doubts for the game as they are all recovering from injuries.
Injured: Marc Roca, Lucas Hernandez
Doubtful: Alphonso Davies, Omar Richards, Kingsley Coman
Suspended: None
Borussia Monchengladbach vs Bayern Munich Predicted XI
Borussia Monchengladbach Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Yann Sommer, Stefan Laimer, Matthias Ginter, Nico Elvedi, Joseph Scally, Christoph Kramer, Florian Neuhaus, Patrick Herrmann, Lars Stindl, Hannes Wolf, Alassane Plea
Bayern Munich Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Manuel Neuer, Benjamin Pavard, Dayot Upamecano, Tanguy Nianzou, Josip Stanisic, Joshua Kimmich, Leon Goretzka, Leroy Sane, Thomas Muller, Serge Gnabry, Robert Lewandowski
Borussia Monchengladbach vs Bayern Munich Prediction
Borussia Monchengladbach did not win any of their first two pre-season games. However, they won the final three, scoring five goals and conceding just one. Confidence levels are high within the team.
Bayern Munich, on the other hand, had a very poor pre-season. They are also missing a number of key figures in defense and may not see a win on the opening day.
We predict a high-scoring and entertaining draw.
Prediction: Borussia Monchengladbach 2-2 Bayer Munich