German Supercup 2019: Borussia Dortmund vs Bayern Munich - Combined XI
The 2019/20 season in German football officially kicks off today with the traditional curtain-raiser at the Signal Iduna Park as Borussia Dortmund play eternal rivals Bayern Munich in the DFL-Supercup.
In the sixth meeting between the sides since 2010, injuries in both camps have dampened the atmosphere. Julian Brandt and Roman Burki have been ruled out for the hosts, whereas new signing Thorgan Hazard alongside Dan-Axel Zagadou is doubtful.
As for the visitors, Serge Gnabry, Lucas Hernandez and Javi Martinez are all sidelined, whereas Kingsley Coman remains doubtful with an ankle strain.
Also, this is the first time since 2010 where the Bavarians play a German Supercup without Arjen Robben and Frank Ribery, both of whom left the club at the end of last season.
Rest assured, this Der Klassiker promises to be unpredictable yet special. Here's how the teams would line-up in a combined XI:
Goalkeeper: Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich)
Gone are the days when Germany's talismanic sweeper-keeper ruled the roost. Neuer's 'best in the world' tag is long lost, owing to lengthy and recurring injury spells he has been condemned to in recent years. Now it's the era of the Alisson's and the Andersons.
However, the 33-year old has already embarked on the road to redemption - time and again he showed flashes of his former, brilliant self last season when he pulled off save after save to help Bayern register the best defensive record in the league bar RB Leipzig.
Neuer's reflexes to push Yussuf Poulsen's header against the crossbar and the fantastic block to deny Emil Forsberg in a one-on-one situation during the German Cup final earlier this year are some of his enduring memories from last season. It also serves a timely reminder that he ain't done yet.
If he's able to pull off something identical here, Dortmund will have a hard time finding the back of the net.