A tough test ahead of some intense weeks! The lowdown on FC Bayern's game at Red Bull Salzburg

Dress rehearsal for the first competitive game of the new year! FC Bayern play a friendly at Red Bull Salzburg on Tuesday (from 15:00 CET, streamed live on FC Bayern TV PLUS). Head coach Vincent Kompany's side intend to use this tough test to prepare for the intense schedule folowing the Christmas break. Here’s all you need to know ahead of the game in Salzburg in our preview.

With a subscription to FC Bayern TV PLUS, you can watch the match against the Austrian Bundesliga side live and exclusively on fcbayern.com and in the FC Bayern app on Tuesday (15:00 CET).

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The FC Bayern players had 13 days off after their last competitive match of 2025 (4-0 against 1. FC Heidenheim). Since last Saturday, the Munich men have been preparing for the second half of the season. With the Bundesliga home game against VfL Wolfsburg coming up this Sunday (17:30 CET), FCB are heading into a busy period with ten competitive matches in 34 days. With the aim of continuing their highly successful season, Harry Kane and his teammates intend to continue refining their game so they can be in optimal form for the decisive phase of the season. Tuesday's friendly against Red Bull Salzburg will be an ideal test for Bayern.

The opposition: Red Bull Salzburg

After two years without silverware, Salzburg are aiming to be crowned Austrian champions again this season. The club from Mozart's birthplace had won the Austrian Bundesliga ten times in a row before finally having to give way to Sturm Graz in the last two seasons. With five matchdays left in the main round of matches, Salzburg top the table with a three-point lead over second-placed Linzer ASK. Participation in the championship round is therefore virtually certain. In the Europa League, however, RB are on the verge of being knocked out after a 1-0 defeat at SC Freiburg before the Christmas break: with two games remaining in the league phase (against Basel and Aston Villa), they're four points adrift of the play-off places.

Red Bull Salzburg are coached by Thomas Letsch. In front of goalkeeper Alexander Schlager are talented centre-backs Joane Gadou and Jacob Rasmussen. Former Gladbach player Stefan Lainer and Frans Krätzig, who moved to Salzburg from FC Bayern in the summer, play at full-back. Mads Bidstrup is the captain in midfield, doubling up at number six with Soumaïla Diabaté. Behind top scorer Petar Ratkov (12 goals so far) are the highly talented Kerim Alajbegovic (who joined from Bayer 04 Leverkusen in the summer), Edmund Baidoo and Moussa Yeo. Other options include the equally talented Yorbe Vertessen and Sota Kitano, as well as the experienced Karim Onisiwo (formerly of Mainz 05).

Red Bull Salzburg vs. FC Bayern – LIVE and exclusively on FC Bayern TV PLUS

Join us, Bayern fans! With a subscription to FC Bayern TV PLUS, you can watch Tuesday's match against Red Bull Salzburg live on our website fcbayern.com and in the FC Bayern app from 14:45 CET.

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