Kompany Makes Bold Saibari Call as Bayern Open Bundesliga

Vincent Kompany has wasted no time showing he will do things his own way at Bayern Munich. On the opening night of the Bundesliga season, the new coach again left big summer signing Ismael Saibari on the bench for the clash with Stuttgart on Friday.

Just as in last weekend’s German Super Cup win over Borussia Dortmund, Kompany resisted the temptation to throw the Moroccan straight into the starting XI. Instead, he handed the attacking midfield role to Nathaniel Brown – a player more commonly seen at full-back.

It is a striking decision.

Saibari arrived in Munich on a wave of expectation after standout performances for PSV Eindhoven and the Morocco national team. His creativity and power between the lines were widely tipped to give Bayern a new dimension. For now, he waits.

Brown, though, gets the nod again, a clear sign of the trust Kompany already places in the German. The coach is prepared to bend positions and profiles to fit his idea of how Bayern should play, even if that means a defender operating at the heart of his attacking structure.

Around Brown, the line-up against Stuttgart underlines both Bayern’s firepower and Kompany’s early blueprint.

In goal, the ever-present:

• Manuel Neuer

A back four packed with pace and physicality:

• Alphonso Davies
• Kim Min-jae
• Dayot Upamecano
• Konrad Laimer

A midfield trio blending control and youth:

• Aleksandar Pavlovic
• Joshua Kimmich
• Nathaniel Brown

And a front line that looks built to overwhelm:

• Luis Diaz
• Michael Olise
• Harry Kane

This is the side Kompany trusts to launch Bayern’s title defence, just days after they lifted the German Super Cup with a 2-1 victory over Dortmund at Signal Iduna Park.

That win bought the Belgian coach early credit. Now comes the weekly grind of the league, where every selection call is magnified. Leaving Saibari out again sends a message: reputations will not walk into this Bayern team.

How long the Moroccan has to wait for his first major stage in Munich may tell us plenty about the new order under Kompany – and about who really shapes Bayern’s season from the centre of the pitch.