Bayern Open Season With Super Cup Win, Yet Depth Questions Linger

Bayern Munich began the season with a 2-1 victory over Stuttgart in the Franz Beckenbauer Super Cup, a result that reinforced their status as the team to beat while underscoring lingering questions about depth and cohesion after a busy, unsettled summer. The curtain-raiser, played at Stuttgart’s home ground, saw Bayern respond to a series of high-profile departures and new arrivals with a display that suggested they will again be difficult to unseat in the Bundesliga even as rivals circle for a challenge.

The summer moved quickly for Bayern, who added Luis Diaz from Liverpool to offset the exits of Leroy Sane and Thomas Mueller, while also seeing Kingsley Coman’s departure to Saudi Arabia and the temporary or permanent shifts of several others. The club’s attacking line now centers on Harry Kane, supported by Diaz, with Jadon Olise among the options who stepped in during the pre-season period. Yet the line of departure was just as telling as the arrivals: Musiala’s injury will keep him sidelined for a lengthy spell, and Alphonso Davies remains out, leaving Bayern with concerns about their balance and the depth behind Kane and the core attacking unit. The club has also faced...