90 days after their last Bundesliga match FC Bayern contest the official opening fixture of the 55th Bundesliga season on Friday evening. "We're looking forward to starting off against Leverkusen," head coach Carlo Ancelotti commented on the encounter with Bayer Leverkusen at the Allianz Arena: "The first match is always tough but I think we're ready for the match, and I hope we'll turn in a good display," Ancelotti said in an interview with FC Bayern.tv live.

The 58-year-old admitted pre-season preparation "wasn't easy. Many players were on holiday when we started, so it was difficult to prepare for the trip to Asia." The defeats in friendlies came as no surprise for the Italian, but Ancelotti was pleased after the recent victories over Dortmund in the Supercup final and Chemnitz in the DFB Cup. "Everything's going according to plan, our rhythm is good at the moment."

The only thing Ancelotti is worried about is the injury roster as a number of players will be unavailable for the opener: "We'll see which players will be available on Friday." A week later the Bavarians will travel to face Bremen, followed by a two-week international break. "We'll be able to integrate all our players then."