Elversberg host Bayern Munich on 13 September 2026 in one of the more compelling fixtures of Bundesliga Matchday 3. Freshly promoted after finishing runners up in the 2025-26 2. Bundesliga, they have wasted no time announcing themselves by beating Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Mönchengladbach in their first two top flight outings. Bayern arrive sixth after a goalless draw at Schalke 04, though they shook off any sluggishness with a 5-0 Champions League thrashing of Bodø/Glimt midweek and will come here wanting to turn that Schalke draw into a distant memory.
Vincent Wagner and Vincent Kompany have never faced each other before. Wagner took charge on 1 July 2025, replacing Horst Steffen and has built a team around aggressive pressing and rapid transitions, already producing seven goals in two Bundesliga games. Kompany, in post since 1 July 2024, continues shaping Bayern around structured possession and a high press but walks into this one with no read on Wagner at all. Elversberg come in having won four of their last five across league and cup, the highlights being a 3-2 home win over Leverkusen on Matchday 1 and a 4-3 triumph at Gladbach on Matchday 2. Bayern's last five reads D W W W W, the Schalke stalemate the only blemish before Wednesday's rout in Europe.
Wagner is without Tom Zimmerschied (back injury) and Luis Seifert (ankle ligament tear), whereas Bayern are missing Serge Gnabry through a muscle injury with Jamal Musiala also a doubt after illness. Gnabry was their most direct option from the right and if Musiala misses out too, Kompany's attacking midfield options thin considerably.
Without Zimmerschied and Seifert, captain Lukas Pinckert will need to organise the press triggers with less cover around him, while David Mokwa and Lukas Petkov are Elversberg's main outlets. Mokwa's runs in behind are well suited to testing how high Bayern want to hold their defensive line, particularly before Kompany's side settles into its shape. Bayern will try to dominate the ball, averaging 60 plus per cent possession, with Harry Kane as their fulcrum, supported by Michael Olise's movement wide and Joshua Kimmich's passing range in midfield. The loss of Gnabry and potentially Musiala, could push Kompany toward deeper involvement from Kimmich as the primary ball progressor against a compact block, with his short game into Kane's feet the most likely mechanism for working through Elversberg's press. The individual battles to watch are Petkov pressing against Kimmich's circulation and Mokwa's runs probing Bayern's defensive line height.
Bayern's dead ball threat gives them another route to goal if open play proves congested and Elversberg's depleted defensive options make those situations a concern they could do without. Wagner gets his touchline back after serving a ban during the Gladbach win, which should sharpen Elversberg's ability to adjust mid game, though these sides have never met competitively before so there is no historical pattern to suggest how either manager reacts under pressure from the other.
Bayern Munich to win 3-1. Elversberg have enough going forward through Mokwa and Petkov to get on the scoresheet and Kane looks likely to provide at least one of Bayern's answers, with Kimmich's ball progression and Olise running in behind the most likely mechanisms for the others. The absences of Gnabry and possibly Musiala reduce Bayern's options out wide but not enough to cost them here, not against a side also missing two of their own. When Elversberg's press fades in the final quarter, Kompany's bench quality is where the difference in these clubs will show most plainly and that is probably where this one is settled.
Ryan Baldi
Football Writer
Ryan Baldi is a professional football writer with years of experience and has been featured by respected outlets such as the BBC, The Guardian, Sky Sports, DAZN, FourFourTwo, ESPN, Yahoo Sport and Football365. He has also written several books including Arsène Who?.
