Bayern Munich defeat Stuttgart 5-1 in Bundesliga opener with five second-half goals

Dominant start at the Allianz Arena

Bayern Munich began their Bundesliga title defence with a 5-1 home victory over VfB Stuttgart on Friday night at a sold-out Allianz Arena in Munich. Playing in rainy conditions in front of 75,000 spectators, Vincent Kompany's team established control in the opening fixture of the 64th Bundesliga season. Stuttgart created an early threat in the 12th minute when Tiago Tomas hit the crossbar from close range, while Michael Olise also struck the woodwork for the hosts. Bayern broke the deadlock in the 21st minute when Dayot Upamecano jumped to head home a corner delivered by Joshua Kimmich. The goal gave Bayern a 1-0 lead into half-time after Kompany made two adjustments to the lineup that won the Supercup 2-1 against Borussia Dortmund the prior week.

Quick response breaks Stuttgart resistance

Stuttgart found a route back into the contest early in the second half. In the 52nd minute, Manuel Neuer stopped an attempt from Jeff Chabot, but defender Josha Vagnoman converted the rebound to level the score at 1-1. The parity lasted three minutes before Bayern regained the lead. Kimmich intercepted a loose pass from Angelo Stiller and set up Olise, who finished past the goalkeeper in the 55th minute. Two minutes later, Alphonso Davies delivered a low cross into the penalty area, where a slipping Vagnoman deflected the ball into his own net to make it 3-1. Olise had another effort disallowed for offside shortly afterward as Bayern maintained pressure.

Konrad Laimer, who completed the full match at right-back for Bayern, commented on Olise's performance after the final whistle.

He relies heavily on intuition, reacting before the opponent does. It's an incredible quality, especially in one-on-one situations. You need that instinct to read the situation: knowing when to pass, when to dribble, and when to shoot. It's really fun to be out there on the pitch with him.

Late goals complete the victory

Bayern extended their advantage in the closing ten minutes through contributions from debutant Ismael Saibari. In the 82nd minute, Saibari completed a solo run into the penalty box and delivered a pass for Aleksandar Pavlovic, who tapped the ball into the net for Bayern's fourth goal. Forward Luis Diaz, who had been denied on multiple attempts earlier in the match, added the fifth in the 92nd minute by converting another assist from Saibari. The result extended Bayern's undefeated streak in Bundesliga opening matches to 15 seasons and marked goalkeeper Manuel Neuer's 600th competitive appearance for the club.

Klopp watches from the stands

Germany national team coach Jürgen Klopp attended the match in Munich. Speaking to Sky before kickoff, Klopp addressed Bayern midfielder Jamal Musiala, who remains out after collapsing twice during pre-season fixtures due to a neurological condition, telling him that "the door is open for you." Stuttgart played without injured Swiss international Luca Jaquez and introduced defender Leonidas Stergiou with 15 minutes remaining. Striker Harry Kane, who had previously scored 14 goals against Stuttgart across his career in Germany, was substituted late in the second half without scoring. The win puts Bayern in position to maintain their position atop the league standings, continuing a run at the summit that dates back 67 matchdays to September 2024.