Kompany's Bold Saibari Decision as Bayern Start Bundesliga

Vincent Kompany has wasted no time in showing he will do things his own 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 last weekend’s German Super Cup win over Borussia Dortmund.

Saibari, who arrived in Munich after standout performances for PSV Eindhoven and the Morocco national team, will have to wait a little longer for his first start in Bayern colours. 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 won’t guarantee a place in this Bayern side.

Bayern XI vs Stuttgart: Brown in the No.10 role

Kompany named a strong, attacking line-up for his first Bundesliga match in charge:

• Goalkeeper: Manuel Neuer
• Defence: Alphonso Davies, Kim Min-jae, Dayot Upamecano, Konrad Laimer
• Midfield: Aleksandar Pavlovic, Joshua Kimmich, Nathaniel Brown
• Attack: Luis Diaz, Michael Olise, Harry Kane

Brown’s positioning between the lines, ahead of Pavlovic and Kimmich, stands out as the tactical gamble. With Luis Diaz and Michael Olise flanking Harry Kane, Bayern are loaded with creativity and goals, yet Kompany has chosen to trust a converted full-back to knit it all together.

Saibari, brought in to add exactly that kind of spark, will again look on from the sidelines and wait for his chance to break into a team already packed with attacking talent.

Super Cup statement, Bundesliga test

Bayern arrive at the league opener with early momentum. They edged Borussia Dortmund 2-1 in the German Super Cup at Signal Iduna Park last Saturday, a result that gave Kompany an immediate piece of silverware and a touch of breathing room.

Now comes the grind of the league season, and with it the bigger question: how long can a talent like Saibari be kept in reserve if Kompany’s bold experiments don’t always come off?