Götze to haunt old friends Bayern in BL opener
The 2022/2023 Bundesliga season kicks off in style at the Deutsche Bank Park, pitting UEFA Europa League winners Eintracht Frankfurt against perennial domestic champions Bayern Munich. The hosts' ultimately successful adventure on the continent rendered their poor league finish moot, and now armed with Mario Götze, they could really ruffle the feathers of the visitors. Read our preview here:
Göt, Göt, need
An incredible debut season for head coach Oliver Glasner will be hard to top, though his European triumph has only moved the dial in terms of expectations slightly, making qualification through the division a minimum requirement. The summer transfer window has seen a hive of activity whilst a sensible policy has still been maintained. The oldest recruit is Götze himself at 30. The former World Cup winner has had an unusual career trajectory, caused as much by health problems as any other factor. Acquired from PSV Eindhoven, he will dovetail with the impressive Daichi Kamada behind Colombian striker Rafael Santos Borré. Sebastian Rode faces a late fitness test to face his former employers in the double pivot.
All about the Mané
Life after Robert Lewandowski got off to a cracker in the DFL-Supercup last week, which ended in a 5-3 victory over RB Leipzig, providing early evidence that scoring won't be an issue without the Polish superstar. Sadio Mané netted on his bow for the German giants, and he represents a similar goal threat to his predecessor, albeit with a very different style. He will spearhead an enviable attack, which also comprises the likes of Leroy Sané, Jamal Musiala, and creator in chief Thomas Müller. The other new signings remain too short of match fitness to feature.
Betting tip
Though Bayern might win the tie, their defence might not be as watertight as they would like. There are real opportunities for Frankfurt to hurt them, and Casumo have odds of 4.50 for Götze to score anytime.
