Bayern Munich have named summer signing Ismael Saibari in their starting line-up for Saturday’s Bundesliga visit to Schalke 04, with Harry Kane beginning the match on the bench.
The Moroccan midfielder impressed after making his Bayern debut and has now been selected from the start for his first Bundesliga appearance. He also began Wednesday’s German Cup tie, but his inclusion ahead of Kane remains the most notable feature of Vincent Kompany’s team selection.
Bayern travel to Gelsenkirchen for their second league match of the campaign, with live commentary on Afrik-Foot starting at 18:30 GMT+2.
The Bavarian club have made an emphatic start to the new season and have already collected three victories in their first three official matches. Before the Bundesliga began, Kompany’s side defeated Borussia Dortmund 2-1 in the German Super Cup.
They followed that success by opening their league campaign with a convincing 5-1 victory over Stuttgart. Bayern then maintained their momentum in the German Cup on Wednesday, overcoming Osnabruck 4-1.
Across those three matches since the Super Cup, Bayern have scored 11 goals, underlining the attacking strength they have shown in the early weeks of the season. Saibari’s selection provides another opportunity for the summer arrival to establish himself in a team that has started the campaign with considerable authority.
Schalke 04, meanwhile, have experienced a less consistent beginning after returning to the Bundesliga. The Konigsblauen opened their season with a 5-2 victory against Hallescher FC in the first round of the German Cup.
Their league return was considerably more difficult, however, as they were beaten 3-0 away by Augsburg. They now face a Bayern side that has already demonstrated its ability to score freely in competitive matches.
Recent meetings also favour the visitors. The last encounter between the clubs took place on 13 May 2023, when Bayern recorded a commanding 6-0 victory at the Allianz Arena.
Bayern had also won the previous meeting in Gelsenkirchen, prevailing 2-0 several months earlier. The two meetings before that produced further victories for the Munich side: a 4-0 success at Schalke in January 2021 and an 8-0 home win in September 2020.
The overall competitive record is similarly one-sided. Bayern have won 68 of the 119 official meetings between the clubs, while Schalke 04 have recorded 20 victories.
Saturday’s match therefore presents Schalke with a demanding examination against the early league leaders, while Saibari will have the opportunity to make his first Bundesliga start for Bayern Munich in one of the season’s most closely watched team selections.