Kompany's Bold Decision: Saibari Benched for Bayern's Bundesliga Opener

Vincent Kompany has wasted no time showing he will do things his way at Bayern Munich.

For the Bundesliga curtain-raiser against Stuttgart on Friday, the new Bayern coach again left summer signing Ismael Saibari on the bench, repeating the surprise call he made in the German Super Cup win over Borussia Dortmund.

Saibari, who arrived in Munich after standout performances for PSV Eindhoven and the Morocco national team, must wait once more for his first competitive start. Kompany instead pushed Nathaniel Brown into the attacking midfield role, a striking decision given the German is naturally a full-back.

The message is clear: reputation alone does not guarantee a place in this Bayern side.

Bayern’s Starting XI

Bayern’s starting XI at the Allianz Arena set out Kompany’s blueprint:

• In goal, the ever-present Manuel Neuer.
• Across the back four: Alphonso Davies on the left, Kim Min-jae and Dayot Upamecano as the central pairing, with Konrad Laimer on the right.
• In midfield, Aleksandar Pavlovic and Joshua Kimmich form the double pivot, with Brown pushed higher up the pitch as the central attacking midfielder.
• Ahead of them, a high-profile front three: Luis Diaz and Michael Olise flanking Harry Kane, the English striker again leading the line.

Kompany’s selection comes on the back of a perfect start to his tenure in competitive action. Bayern opened their season by beating Dortmund 2-1 in the German Super Cup at Signal Iduna Park last Saturday, a statement win that immediately set the tone.

Now comes the real grind of the league campaign, and with Saibari still watching on from the bench, the battle for places in Bayern’s new era has already turned fierce.