Eintracht Frankfurt host Bayern Munich in the opening match of the 2022-23 Bundesliga campaign on Friday night.
Frankfurt won the Europa League last season, while Bayern are aiming to win the Bundesliga for an 11th successive season.
Match preview
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Indeed, Oliver Glasner's debut season in charge of Frankfurt was certainly one to remember, with the 47-year-old taking his side all of the way in the Europa League without losing a single game in the competition.
Perhaps the highlight of their trophy-winning run was defeating Barcelona in the quarter-finals, with West Ham United and Rangers belatedly powerless to prevent Glasner's side from winning their first European trophy in 32 years.
Die Adler's league form suffered as a result, with them finishing in 11th place, but given that winning the Europa League provides direct qualification to the Champions League group stage while representing a tremendous trophy to win in its own right, very few fans could squabble with a spot in mid-table.
However, having guided Wolfsburg to fourth spot in the Bundesliga before departing for Frankfurt, there is little doubt that Glasner will be demanding more from his players on the domestic front this season.
They started as they mean to go on in the DFB-Pokal on Monday by beating second tier outfit Magdeburg 4-0 away from home, with debutant Lucas Alario getting himself on the scoresheet.
Signing Mario Gotze and Alario, while keeping hold of star man Filip Kostic despite strong interest from West Ham, suggests that they may be in a position to challenge on all fronts, even if they have been handed the toughest possible start in the Bundesliga in the shape of Friday's match against champions Bayern at Deutsche Bank Park.
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Despite losing Robert Lewandowski to Barcelona, Bayern still looked capable of scoring at will in last weekend's 5-3 victory against RB Leipzig in the German Super Cup.
The Bavarians raced into a 3-0 lead at half time against Julian Nagelsmann's former side, courtesy of strikes from Jamal Musiala, debutant Sadio Mane and Benjamin Pavard, before surviving a spirited comeback from last season's DFB-Pokal winners after the break.
In truth, it was the perfect curtain-raiser for the Bundesliga season, with some scintillating football played by both sides. Mane, who signed from Liverpool for around £35m to help fill the void of Lewandowski, looked perfectly at home in a central role, with his natural tendency to drift left suiting Nagelsmann's tactical plan.
Substitute Leroy Sane looked somewhere back to his best, too, settling any late nerves with a superb counter-attacking goal in injury time. The former Manchester City winger ran from the length of the halfway line before showing excellent composure to take opposing goalkeeper Peter Gulasci and Hugo Novoa out of the equation and slot the ball into an almost empty net.
Bayern's opponents on Friday will likely prove to be more stubborn, but on that form it is tough to see anyone stopping them this season.
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Frankfurt will be without defenders Jerome Onguene and Aurelio Buta, who are recovering from thigh and knee injuries respectively.
Otherwise, though, Glasner appears to have a full squad to select from, with Monday's impressive 4-0 win at Magdeburg likely tempting him into selecting the same XI.
However, while Daichi Kamada starred with two goals from a deep-lying midfield role, the former Wolfsburg boss will almost certainly look to shore up the middle of the park against such dangerous opponents.
That could mean a move higher up the pitch for the Japan international alongside Gotze, with Jesper Lindstrom dropping out of the side to accommodate Kristijan Jakic.
Alario will hope to make an impact from the bench once again as he bides his time deputising for Santos Borre, who was named in the Europa League Team of the Year after several fine performances last season.
Bayern, meanwhile, will travel without Leon Goretzka as the midfielder continues to recover from knee surgery.
Marcel Sabitzer has impressed in Goretzka's stead in pre-season and should receive the nod alongside Joshua Kimmich in central midfield.
Kingsley Coman is still suspended for two more league matches after his red card against Wolfsburg towards the end of last season, leaving Nagelsmann with a choice between Musiala and Sane on the left flank.
Musiala starred with a goal and an assist in the first half against Leipzig, with his manager describing the 19-year-old as "world class," meaning that Sane may be reduced to a super sub role once again.
Mane will almost certainly earn his first Bundesliga start in attack, but fellow new signing Matthijs De Ligt is short of match fitness and will likely be named on the bench.
Eintracht Frankfurt possible starting lineup:
Trapp; Toure, Tuta, N'Dicka; Knauff, Jakic, Sow, Kostic; Kamada, Gotze; Borre
Bayern Munich possible starting lineup:
Neuer; Pavard, Upamecano, Hernandez, Davies; Sabitzer, Kimmich; Gnabry, Muller, Musiala; Mane
We say: Eintracht Frankfurt 1-3 Bayern Munich
Frankfurt will almost certainly improve on last season's 11th-placed finish and should provide Bayern with a stern opening day test.
However, the champions looked irrepressible in attack against Leipzig last weekend, and may have too much firepower on the day.
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Top tip
Brett Curtis
