The 2022-23 Bundesliga season gets underway on Friday when defending champion Bayern Munich pays a visit to Eintracht Frankfurt.
Bayern has been unstoppable in the league for a decade, and will be looking to win an incredible 11th straight Bundesliga title this season.
Eintracht, meanwhile, enters the season with plenty of optimism after winning the Europa League last season and reaching the Champions League this term as a result.
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Can any team hope to slow Bayern down this season? We’ll start to find out on Friday. Here are three reasons why it’s worth tuning in, followed by more information about the game.
1. Mario Götze is back!
Götze is now back in the Bundesliga with Eintracht Frankfurt, joining the club along with a host of other new faces as it gears up for Champions League competition this season.
2. How will Bayern’s new faces fit in?
Yes, Robert Lewandowski has departed, but Bayern is arguably still stronger now than it was at the end of last season.
The main reason is the club’s two headline signings in the summer: Sadio Mané and Matthijs de Ligt, with Mané set to help fill the scoring void Lewandowski left behind.
Bayern also added a pair of up-and-comers from Ajax in Noussair Mazraoui and Ryan Gravenberch, as well as French wonderkid Mathys Tel. Suffice it to say, Julian Nagelsmann will still have a world of talent at his disposal in the post-Lewandowski era.
3. Does anybody stand a chance at dethroning Bayern?
The past decade has been glorious for Bayern, but there is genuine concern about the Bundesliga’s transformation into a monopoly.
The last non-Bayern champion of the league was Jurgen Klopp-led Borussia Dortmund in 2011-12. That is an eternity for one of the top leagues in the world.
The title won’t be decided in week one, of course, but Eintracht taking points from Bayern could provide an early-season boost to potential title challengers. Could the Bavarians, shorn of Lewandowski, be dethroned in 2022-23? It still seems unlikely, but the likes of Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig, Bayer Leverkusen and others will certainly be watching the opener closely.
When is Eintracht Frankfurt vs. Bayern Munich?
The match will kick off on Friday, August 5 at 2:30 p.m. ET.
How can I watch Eintracht Frankfurt vs. Bayern Munich?
The Bundesliga kickoff match will be streamed live on ESPN+.
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