For the first time in a while, Zurich’s Letzigrund stadium in the Altstetten district was once again completely sold out for a football match between the two city clubs. It had been 14 years since that Tuesday evening – then, as now, FC Bayern Munich was the visiting team: in August 2011, the German record champions won 1-0 against FC Zurich in the Champions League qualifiers, and in August 2025, they won 2-1 (2-0) in the last test preseason friendly of their summer preparations against Grasshoppers.
Already three games into the Swiss league season, Zurich have yet to claim their first victory. FC Bayern, on the other hand, travelled to the 27-time champions and 19-time cup winners off the back of an already successful preseason period thanks to a win over Olympique Lyon (2-1) and the Telekom Cup victory over Tottenham Hotspur (4-0). FCB head coach Vincent Kompany nevertheless chose to wipe the slate clean: eleven new players slipped into the starting eleven compared to the victory over Tottenham. Among them were two debutants, 18-year-olds Felipe Chávez and Magnus Dalpiaz, and two campus talents, Jonah Kusi-Asare (also 18 years old) and Lennart Karl (17 years old), who had scored impressive goals against the Europa League winners on Thursday evening.
‘Believe in yourself, that’s your strength.’
The young, wild ones picked up where they left off in the sold-out Allianz Arena: Kusi-Asare played the ball to Tom Bischof, who drew two opponents towards him and passed to Lennart Karl. The new number 42 for FC Bayern stopped the ball with his right foot and sent it into the top right corner with his left, leaving Zurich keeper Justin Hammel with no chance: 1–0 (21’).
Just a minute after the water break – needed considering the tropical temperatures in the Alps – Jonah Kusi-Asare also had reason to celebrate: Lennart Karl had played his academy buddy into a promising position after a diligent dribble (26'). “You have to try to take advantage of every opportunity to show what you can do,” said former Bayern pro Nils Petersen enthusiastically on FC Bayern TV PLUS: “The ease and carefreeness of the boys is good for the team, especially in a phase where you're tired.” This ease, the expert concluded, also comes from those in charge: “It's the coach who says: believe in yourselves, be creative – that's your strength!”
And so the first half belonged mainly to the young players, with David Santos Daiber (18 years old) holding the line attentively in central defence alongside the experienced Minjae Kim. Felipe Chávez was even able to make an offensive impact alongside Bischof in defensive midfield: his cheeky long-range shot – after pirouetting around his opponent – was one of the highlights of the first 45 minutes. The Grasshoppers, on the other hand, had not done much up to that point, with Zurich boasting only 30 per-cent possession and the hosts struggling to get into the game. The only two half-chances for the Swiss side came about through Jonathan Asp Jensen and Lovro Zvonarek – both on loan from FC Bayern and starting for Zurich on Tuesday night.
Footballing spirits unphased despite high temperatures
“I'm one of the youngest players, but I feel really comfortable in the team. The guys have taken me in as well as I can ask. I can show my strengths and work on my weaknesses. Everything went well again today – the goal, the assist and overall it was a very, very good game”
This remained the case after the half-time break: FC Bayern continued to set the pace, showing strong running and enthusiasm despite the relentless temperatures of over 30 degrees Celsius. However, a few lapses in concentration crept into the visitors' game, one of which was exploited by substitute Loris Giandomenicho. Following a cross from Marques, the 19-year-old was the quickest to react and fired the ball under the bar, leaving Jonas Urbig in the Munich goal with no chance of saving it, making it 2-1 (51'). Manuel Neuer had not travelled to Zurich as a precaution and was absent, as was Kingsley Coman (due to illness).
“This preseason has been very, very short, so it's important to make the most of every day,” revealed sporting director Christoph Freund on FC Bayern TV PLUS: “We've performed well so far, the mechanisms are working and we feel well prepared.”
Urbig secures the win
So, after a good hour of play, the first batch of players were allowed to call it a day. With the exception of Urbig and Kusi-Asare, Kompany replaced the entire starting eleven. The fresh legs brought new momentum to Bayern's game, with Luis Díaz in particular having several chances to score his first goal after some strong build-up play – but to no avail. On one occasion, he dribbled past two defenders after running half the length of the pitch. Dayot Upamecano also had a chance to make it 3-1, but the defender's shot – having been set up by Joshua Kimmich – hit the crossbar.
The dress rehearsal before Saturday evening's competitive opener in the Franz Beckenbauer Super Cup against cup winners VfB Stuttgart almost went wrong in the final minutes: in stoppage time, Zurich's Verón Lupi had a free shot from the edge of the penalty area, but Urbig dived just in time to secure a narrow but deserved away win, much to everyone's relief.
"Ultimately, you always want to win games. It doesn't matter whether it's a friendly or a competitive match,” said Konrad Laimer. “We’ve had a short preparation period, but our mindset was clear from the start: for us, there are no friendly matches. We approach every game as if it were a Bundesliga or Champions League match.” Especially when the stadium is sold out.
Read all the reactions to the preseason friendly in Zurich:
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