How Borussia Dortmund might line up in the 2026 Franz Beckenbauer Supercup against Bayern Munich
Borussia Dortmund will hope to make an early-season statement against Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich when they welcome Vincent Kompany’s side to Signal Iduna Park in the Franz Beckenbauer Supercup this weekend, but who will Niko Kovač name in his starting XI?
Defensively, Kovač is unlikely to spring any surprises on Saturday evening, with the absences of Nico Schlotterbeck and Emre Can leaving him with relatively few options at the back. Things are a little less clear-cut at the other end of the pitch, though, with several promising youngsters putting themselves in the picture in pre-season.
Here are Kovač’s biggest selection dilemmas ahead of the first Klassiker of the 2026/27 campaign…
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Back three set in stone?
In goal, Gregor Kobel’s starting spot is all but guaranteed. The Switzerland international has been Dortmund’s undisputed number-one keeper for several years, but he is likely to have his hands full on Saturday - particularly if Kompany opts to start Harry Kane, Michael Olise and Luis Díaz in attack.
The same goes for Dortmund’s back three. With Schlotterbeck and Can still several weeks away from returning to fitness, teenage summer signing Joane Gadou and Ramy Bensebaini are expected to start either side of Waldemar Anton - a mainstay at the heart of defence under Kovač.
Gadou, 19, has already caught the eye in pre-season and even found the net in Dortmund’s impressive 3-2 win at English Premier League champions Arsenal. A summer signing from Salzburg, the physically robust, 6’’5’ Frenchman appears to have all the credentials to be a success at Signal Iduna Park.
Bensebaini, meanwhile, is expected to fill the void left by Schlotterbeck on the left side of Borussia’s back three, with Filippo Mané - who has impressed in pre-season - set to start on the bench.
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Wing-back spot up for grabs
At the heart of midfield, Felix Nmecha and Jobe Bellingham are expected to continue their prospering partnership. Nmecha has long been an integral cog in Kovač’s side, but Bellingham - a summer 2025 arrival from Sunderland - appears to have cemented his place alongside the 25-year-old.
Marcel Sabitzer is a viable alternative, but the Austria international will likely have to settle for a place on the Dortmund bench - alongside recent signing Joey Veerman.
The more defensive-minded Daniel Svensson is a more likely option on the flank than Maximilian Beier, who has been converted into a wing-back in pre-season, but missed Dortmund's friendly against Roma due to a knee issue. Julian Ryerson expected to start on the opposite side of the pitch. Whether that ends up being the left or right flank is up for debate, though.
Kovač has often used inverted wing-backs in pre-season, deploying Ryerson on the left and Svensson on the right. Was that merely an experiment, or will the 54-year-old adopt the same approach against Kompany’s troops?
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Greek duo to start?
In attack, a Belgian-born, Greece international teenager has wasted little time in winning over the hearts of the Dortmund faithful.
Konstantinos Karetsas, who joined from Genk earlier this month, looks destined to start after hitting the ground running since his move from the Belgian top flight. Fast, confident on the ball and with a keen eye for goal, the 18-year-old announced his arrival with a sensational effort in the victory at Arsenal.
Karetsas has since been joined at Dortmund by compatriot Giannis Konstantelias, who swapped PAOK for BVB earlier this week, but Saturday’s game is likely to come too soon for the 23-year-old. Italian teenager Samuele Inácio is expected to be preferred to Konstantelias in the second number 10 slot.
Star striker Serhou Guirassy is being tipped to lead the line, but the pre-season form of Fábio Silva might just swing the pendulum in the favour of the young Portuguese forward, who is also capable of operating off the shoulder of the main centre-forward.
