Borussia Dortmund - Bayern Munich. On the eve

On Saturday, August 22, 2026, traditionally opening the new football season in Germany, the match for the Super Cup (officially named after Franz Buckenbauer from 2025) will take place. Eternal rivals Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich will meet on the field of the legendary Signpl Iduna Park. The starting whistle will sound at 21:30 Kyiv time. BORUSSIA D - BAVARIA SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 21:30 ▪️ SIGNAL IDUNA PARK, DORTMUND ▪️ HEAD REFEREE - DANIEL SCHLAGER ▪️ LIVE ON SETANTA SPORTS Bayern Munich come into this match as the absolute victors of last season, having secured a golden double with the Bundesliga title and the German Cup. The team is showing strong form in the pre-season tournaments, winning against Aston Villa (2:1) and RB Leipzig (3:1). The Munich side are nominal favorites and will be looking to defend the trophy they won last year. the summer transfer campaign of the Munich team deserves it. It would seem that Bayern already has an incredible squad in terms of names and depth, but the club's management did not stop there and made very powerful multi-million reinforcements. Ismael Saibari and Nathaniel Brown are among the most high-profile signings this summer. The 25-year-old Moroccan midfielder moved to Munich from the Dutch PSV. African talent shined at the 2026 World Cup. This transfer cost the management in the amount of 50 to 55 million euros. Nathaniel Brown. The 23-year-old left-back joined Bayern from Eintracht Frankfurt. This deal cost the German champions another 50-55 million euros. However, perhaps the most important success for the club was not the signing of star newcomers, but the preservation of its key asset. In the summer offseason, rumors about the interest of Real Madrid and the possible transfer of Michael Olise were circulating in the media. Despite this pressure and temptation from Spain, the club managed to keep the Frenchman. The leader of the team and undoubtedly the best player of the last season of the Bundesliga remained at the Allianz Arena. This decision ensures that Bayern's devastating attacking potential remains, which will be the biggest test for Dortmund's defense in the upcoming trophy clash. Borussia Dortmund qualified for the Super Cup thanks to a German Football Association rule: Since Bayern won both the league and the cup, the Super Cup spot went to the runners-up, which Dortmund became. Despite the underdog status among the bookmakers, the Bumblebees will have a colossal home stadium advantage. The yellow wall will drive their favorites forward, and the last friendly matches (victory over Arsenal 3:2 and draw with Roma 2:2) indicate that the hosts are quite ready to fight. Niko Kovac's men are approaching the title game without two more key players. Midfielder Emre Can remains in the hospital recovering from an injury sustained during the last face-to-face meeting between these teams at Signal Iduna Park (which ended in a 3-2 win for Munich). The absence of Niko Schlotterback was an even more serious blow to the defensive structures of the Bumblebees. The central defender suffered a knee injury at this year's 2026 World Cup while playing for Germany and is now forced to miss the start of the new season entirely. Such losses in the defensive and defensive zones make the task of containing Bayern's attacking potential even more difficult. If Bayern's transfer campaign was accompanied by loud headlines, then Borussia Dortmund acted in the market less demonstratively, but no less on a large scale. Bumblebee management has invested more than 120 million euros in the renewal of the squad, focusing on a combination of exceptional youth and proven championship experience. This strategy is designed to make the team more versatile over the long haul of the season. Among the key acquisitions of Dortmund, it is worth highlighting the following performers who can become a factor of surprise already in the match for the Super Cup: Joan Gadou (central defender). The 19-year-old pupil of the French PSG academy moved to Signal Iduna Park from Austrian Salzburg for 20 million euros. Gadu is a modern proactive defender. His main strengths are impressive anthropometrics, second floor dominance and ability to initiate attacks with the first pass. The young Frenchman has already made a loud statement by scoring a goal against London Arsenal during summer sparring sessions. Joey Verman (central midfielder). Transfer of a 27-year-old Dutchman