What is the aim for Kompany, Kane and Bayern?

WHAT HAPPENED
Bayern Munich begin the new Bundesliga campaign as overwhelming favourites after completing last season’s domestic double. Vincent Kompany’s team have already beaten Borussia Dortmund to lift the German Super Cup and open the season at home to Stuttgart on Friday (19:30 BST), a match being shown on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website.

England captain Harry Kane, a key figure in Bayern’s recent success, heads into the season aiming to add to his run of Bundesliga scoring honours while the club pursue another domestic and European title haul.

KEY CONTEXT
Bayern have dominated the Bundesliga for more than a decade, winning 13 of the past 14 league titles and entering this season as short as 1-7 in the betting. Last campaign the side scored 184 goals across all competitions, including a record 122 in the Bundesliga and 43 in the Champions League, where they were eliminated by Paris St‑Germain 6-5 on aggregate in the semi-finals.

Kompany, in his second season after leaving Burnley, has overseen large winning margins in the league — Bayern finished 13 and 16 points clear in his two full seasons — and is credited with bringing stability to a club that had gone through seven managers in eight years. He has set very high ambitions for the team, encompassing domestic and European trophies.

WHY IT MATTERS
For Bayern, the baseline expectation remains the Bundesliga title rather than it being a standout achievement; the bigger tests are sustained European progress and translating domestic dominance into another Champions League triumph — Bayern have won Europe’s top club prize just once since the 2012-13 Treble (in 2020). For Kompany, continued advancement in Europe and maintaining the club’s stability are key yardsticks of success, while for Kane individual goalscoring honours and contributing to silverware will define his ongoing impact at the Allianz Arena.

WHAT TO WATCH NEXT
- Friday’s league opener at home to Stuttgart (19:30 BST) — Bayern’s first competitive domestic match after the Super Cup win.
- Bayern’s Champions League campaign and whether lessons from the PSG semi-final exit translate into deeper European progress.
- Harry Kane’s bid to secure a fourth consecutive Bundesliga Golden Boot and whether he can extend his scoring achievements further.
- How Kompany’s managerial project is judged over the season by Bayern’s hierarchy, who value both progress and European competitiveness.

KEY FACTS
- Bayern are priced as short as 1-7 by bookmakers and have won 13 of the last 14 Bundesliga titles.
- Bayern beat Borussia Dortmund 2-1 to win the German Super Cup last weekend.
- Bayern scored 184 goals last season: 122 in the Bundesliga and 43 in the Champions League.
- They lost to Paris St‑Germain 6-5 on aggregate in last season’s Champions League semi-finals.
- Harry Kane joined Bayern in 2022 on a four-year deal from Tottenham and is aiming for a fourth straight Bundesliga Golden Boot.