Vincent Kompany gets his first chance to see Bayern Munich in a match setting today when they face Wehen Wiesbaden at 15.30 in their opening preseason test. For supporters wanting to follow the new era closely, the game is available exclusively on FC Bayern TV Plus.
It is the kind of fixture that matters less for the result than for the first clues it gives about Kompany's ideas. Bayern have only just returned from a short training camp at Tegernsee, and several of the club's World Cup players are still on vacation, so the squad will look very different from the one that will eventually line up when the season begins.
The broadcast detail is especially important for fans because this is one of four remaining preseason tests before the competitive start on 22 August, and two of those matches are also exclusive to FC Bayern TV Plus. In other words, the club is giving followers a direct route into Kompany's first weeks rather than leaving them to wait for the competitive games to arrive.
Kompany's first Bayern line-up will be heavily altered
With so many senior players unavailable, this first outing is expected to offer minutes to some of the lesser-seen names in the squad. That makes it a useful early look at the depth Bayern have available, as well as the players who may be asked to make an impression while the more established figures are still away.
That does not make the occasion any less significant. If anything, it sharpens the focus on how Kompany wants Bayern to play, because the first preseason test often reveals the structure and intent a coach is trying to build long before the results start to matter.
What comes next for Bayern
After today, Bayern's schedule quickly becomes more demanding. They are due to face 1. FC Rottach-Egern at Birkenmoos next Thursday at 18.00, before the club's marketing tour in Asia takes them to Jeju SK on 4 August at 13.00 German time and then to Aston Villa in Hong Kong on 7 August at 14.00 German time.
The final stages of preparation then move towards the Telekom Cup against RB Leipzig on 15 August at 15.30, before the Supercup clash with Dortmund on 22 August. For Kompany, today's test is only the beginning, but it is still the first step in showing how Bayern will look under his control.
