Bundesliga cup finals usually get sold on names, but this one looks more likely to turn on who controls midfield. Bayern München bring a deeper set of options, while Borussia Dortmund have a settled pivot and a back line that has already shown it can hold firm. The Borussia Dortmund vs Bayern München meeting in the Franz Beckenbauer Supercup is scheduled for 22 August.

Carrick's role change for Fernandes

Dortmund's midfield shape has been stable in pre-season. Jobe Bellingham and Felix Nmecha have started the last three friendlies together, against FC Tokyo, Arsenal and Roma, and Niko Kovač appears to have settled on his central pivot ahead of the new season.

Bellingham made 20 league starts in 2025/26. Nmecha made 25, and that pairing gives Dortmund a clear platform if the game stays tight. Aleksandar Pavlović, by contrast, was limited to 16 Bundesliga starts in 2025/26 because of illness, niggling injuries and Leon Goretzka's form. Bayern can still line up with Joshua Kimmich and Tom Bischof, but the balance in the middle feels less settled.

Dortmund's defensive edge

The other reason this points toward a low-margin contest is Dortmund's league defence. They conceded just 34 goals last season, two fewer than Bayern, and that usually buys a team a bit of margin when the attacking patterns are still bedding in.

Bayern have responded by adding left-back Nathaniel Brown from Eintracht Frankfurt, while Alphonso Davies returns fit and Jonathan Tah and Dayot Upamecano anchor the centre. Vincent Kompany said, "That will allow the likes of Laimer and Bischof to focus on strengthening Vincent Kompany’s midfield, with Laimer already being a regular deputy on the right side of defence." The setup points to Bayern trying to win the middle first, then let the wide and defensive pieces support it.

Dortmund have enough on the bench and enough proof in the back line to keep this close, and Serhou Guirassy's 22 goals in 46 appearances across all competitions still give them a direct route if the midfield duel stalls. The team that gets first control in the centre should have the better shot at the Supercup on 22 August.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →