Bayern Munich have both competition form and a solid head-to-head record against RB Leipzig on their side as they look to start the Sadio Mane era with Supercup success.

bundesliga.com offers five reasons Julian Nagelsmann's defending Supercup champions will retain their crown at the home of Die Roten Bullen.

>> Click here for Leipzig vs. Bayern team news!

1) Sadio Mane

The awesome Senegalese attacker has landed at Bayern with the intention of adding to his already impressive trophy haul. Having recently been crowned African Player of the Year a second successive time, Mane will be eager to begin his tenure at the Bavarian giants with some silverware. Already donning the No. 17 shirt with success in pre-season, Mane is eyeing the Supercup as a chance to make the perfect competitive start with Bayern, who are looking to triumph in the competition for a seventh time since 2010.

"When I play for Bayern, nobody in the whole of Senegal will go to work,” the former European and league champion with Liverpool said recently. Indeed, fans the world over will be tuning in to see how Mane gets on in Saturday's showpiece at the Red Bull Arena.

Watch: Mane - the Bundesliga's newest superstar

"Straightaway I could see myself in [the tactical set-up]," the 30-year-old said following an initial chat with coach Nagelsmann. "I think I’m one of the lucky players who can play in three or four positions on the pitch. I’m a player who is almost comfortable in all these positions," Mane added.

Where Nagelsmann decides to deploy his new attacking gem is one more huge draw to this weekend's fixture against Leipzig, with the tactician seemingly spoilt for choice with a player who offers an immense threat out wide as well as centrally. Having scored 120 goals and provided 38 assists in 269 games for previous club Liverpool, Senegal's all-time top scorer has the perfect platform to muster the first digits of his Bayern stats tally in Saxony.

2) Seasoned winners, new additions

As undeniably brilliant as Mane is, the problem for Leipzig is that those who will line up alongside their new teammate are equally as deadly. When you include Bayern's added arrivals to a group that has dominated domestically and triumphed in Europe, the record Bundesliga champions present a potent prospect.

Signings Matthijs de Ligt - who arrives from Juventus - and Noussair Mazraoui are former Ajax youth academy graduates and champions in the Netherlands, something that midfielder Ryan Gravenberch can also boast. All three bring significant weight to the 2021/22 Bayern vintage that made it 10 Bundesliga titles in a row.

Matthijs de Ligt was on target for Bayern in pre-season. - Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images

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Goal king Robert Lewandowski is now talked of in the past tense around Säbener Straße following the Polish forward's move to Barcelona, but in Serge Gnabry, Thomas Müller, Kingsley Coman, Leroy Sane and, of course, Mane, the Bavarian giants have forward options to salivate over. Captain Manuel Neuer remains the world's greatest goalkeeper and with midfield leader Joshua Kimmich and Müller further ahead, that immense Germany international spine remains intact in Nagelsmann's side.

Add the prolific pace of Alphonso Davies on the left, the central defensive solidity of Lucas Hernandez and numerous quality options from the bench, and you have the makings of a team that is set fair to challenge on all fronts this term, starting with the Supercup.

Watch: Alphonso Davies flying once again 

3) Nagelsmann's Leipzig know-how

Who better for Bayern to have leading their tactical assault on the 2022 Supercup than Nagelsmann, the man who led Leipzig to third and second places successively in the Bundesliga between 2019 and 2021? During his tenure at the Red Bull Arena, the 35-year-old oversaw 95 games in all competitions, winning 54, with other highlights at his time in charge of Die Roten Bullen including a run to the UEFA Champions League semi-finals and a DFB Cup final appearance.

The Bayern boss enjoyed doing a Bundesliga double over his former side last season, with the eventual champions triumphing 4-1 at the venue for this Saturday's Supercup and 3-2 at the Allianz Arena in February.

Speaking after Bayern's recent pre-season friendly reverse against Manchester City in the United States, Nagelsmann said of Leipzig, "Normally, under [Domenico] Tedesco, they do not press that high and defend a bit deeper. They also have a brilliant build-up game with a lot of movement in midfield and they have a lot of good players."

Both Nagelsmann and Tedesco are good friends, the two having been classmates at the DFB coaching school back in 2016.

Watch: Bayern edge Leipzig in 2021/22 thriller

4) Bayern's Supercup experience

While this will be Leipzig's debut appearance in the Supercup following their maiden DFB Cup win against Freiburg last May, Bayern are challenging for the trophy for an 11th successive season. The current holders have been crowned champions seven times since 2010 and won the final the last two times in which they have taken part, with both victories coming against Borussia Dortmund. This will be the first non-Bayern versus BVB Supercup final since 2018, when Eintracht Frankfurt went down heavy to the Bavarians.

Along with their superior record in this competition, Bayern are also in front in the head-to-head numbers game in matches against Leipzig. In 14 meetings, FCB have won eight times to Leipzig's one triumph. The teams have also played out five draws.

Watch: Highlights of Bayern's 2021 Supercup triumph

5) Revving up the Bundesliga engines

Bayern will be gunning for glory in the Supercup all the while knowing that the start of their Bundesliga title defence begins just six days later away at UEFA Europa League champions Eintracht. Saturday thus represents the perfect competitive warm-up for opening night in the German top flight on 5 August, and boasting the strongest opening-day record of any Bundesliga team, Bayern have a strong tradition to follow when that date comes around.

Therefore, should they get things right against Leipzig, confidence will be high for the big Bundesliga kick-off and the chance for the Bavarians to make it a 37th all-time win on opening day.

>> Click here for Supercup history
>> 5 reasons to watch the Supercup
>> How do the two teams compare?
>> 5 reasons Leipzig can beat Bayern
>> Bundesliga Match Facts Supercup preview
>> Leipzig vs. Bayern: contrasting histories
>> German football's exciting new rivalry
>> How might Bayern line up this season?
>> How might Leipzig line up this season?

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