Preview for the Audi Football Summit
Fri, 30/07/21, 18:00
Bayern go into final friendly against Napoli with Euro players back
With six days to go until the first competitive match of the 2021/22 season against Bremer SV in the DFB Cup, Bayern play their final warm-up game when they host Italian side Napoli at the Allianz Arena on Saturday afternoon. Here’s all you need to know about the last friendly of pre-season.
How to follow Bayern vs. Napoli
The match kicks off at 16:30 CEST, with live coverage on fcbayern.com with our free web radio and our live text commentary.
Bayern last faced Napoli in a friendly match four years ago in the Audi Cup, with the Italians winning 2-0.
Returning Euro players to bring first pre-season win?
Julian Nagelsmann is yet to register his first win in pre-season, with defeats to Köln and Borussia Mönchengladbach sandwiching a draw against Ajax in the three games so far. “Pre-season isn’t over yet. I fundamentally prefer winning to losing. That’s no different in pre-season than in competitive matches,” the new Bayern head coach said to set the direction for the Napoli game. Nagelsmann can also be hopeful of a change in fortunes because this week saw the first of the players who competed at Euro 2020 return to training. They are expected to be given some playing time on Saturday.
Robert Lewandowski is back from the Euros and showing his old assuredness in front of goal in training.
Opponents Napoli
Like Bayern, Napoli also go into the new season with a new coach in Luciano Spalletti. He replaces Gennaro Gattuso, who led the club to fifth in Serie A in 2020/21, but missed out on what seemed certain Champions League qualification on the final day. The Naples team narrowly won their first friendly of pre-season 1-0 against lower-league Pro Vercelli last week. However, they have some time before their campaign gets underway, with their first Serie A game at home to Venezia not until 22 August.
Personnel for the game
The return of international players means Nagelsmann has far more options for the Napoli match. “The plan is for everyone who’s back to play on Saturday. Everyone who’s fit and healthy should get 45 minutes as things stand,” the 34-year-old coach confirmed after the Gladbach game on Wednesday. It means Bayern go into the Audi Football Summit without Niklas Süle (rested due to back problems), Corentin Tolisso (isolation), Marc Roca, Alphonso Davies (both ankle injuries) and Lucas Hernandez (knee operation at the start of July), as well as Joshua Kimmich, Manuel Neuer and Thomas Müller, who will only join the team next week.
The Audi Football Summit is one of the highlights from Bayern’s Audi Summer Tour 2021:
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