The wait is almost over as Bayern return to Bundesliga action on Friday with the opening fixture of the 2023/24 season away at Werder Bremen. What do the stats say of the champions’ chances of kicking off the 61st Bundesliga season with a win? And what other brilliant record do the Munich club boast in this fixture? Find out in our facts and stats ahead of Matchday 1…
1. Bundesliga’s most played fixture
Bayern and Werder are set to meet for the 113th time in the Bundesliga, making this the most-played fixture in the history of the German top flight. FCB have 60 wins to their name, which is more often than any other club has beaten Bremen. However, only Borussia Mönchengladbach have inflicted more Bundesliga defeats on Bayern (28) than the Green-Whites (26).
2. Record run against Bremen
Bayern won their last encounter with Bremen 2-1 at the Weserstadion in May thanks to Serge Gnabry and Leroy Sane.
Bayern are unbeaten in their last 31 competitive encounters with Werder. No other team in German professional football has ever had such a long run without defeat against a particular opponent. You have to go back to September 2008 for the last time Bayern lost in this fixture, going down 5-2 at the Allianz Arena. Since then, it’s been all pretty much Bayern with 27 wins and four draws, 96 goals scored and only 21 conceded.
3. Strong starters
The Bundesliga introduced an official opening match in 2002, making this the 22nd edition of the game. Bayern have featured in 15 of them and almost always made the perfect start, with 12 wins and three draws.
4. Tuchel’s supposed favourite opponent
Thomas Tuchel has already beaten Werder nine times as a coach – more than any other club.
Thomas Tuchel has beaten Bremen nine times as a coach in the Bundesliga, which is the most wins he has against any club in the competition. Since a 1-1 draw in charge of Mainz, the 49-year-old has won the last seven games in a row against Werder – that’s the longest winning run ever by a Bundesliga coach against the Green-Whites.
5. Bayern’s home away from home
Bayern were the best team in the division on the road last season with 33 points, while Bremen were the worst performing team at home with only 17 points. FCB have enjoyed their recent visits to the Weserstadion, winning each of the last 14 in all competitions. Never before in professional German football has a team managed such a long winning run away at a particular opponent.
Follow what Tuchel has so say ahead of the game in his press conference on Thursday:
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