Robert Lewandowski's departure leaves a big void for Bayern Munich to fill, yet Julian Nagelsmann has full confidence his squad is stronger now than it was last season.

Bayern sold star striker Lewandowski, who scored 50 goals across all competitions last season, to Barcelona last month.

Lewandowski had refused to sign a new contract with the Bundesliga champions, who made the reluctant decision to cash in on the 33-year-old.

Sadio Mane had already arrived from Liverpool as Lewandowski's de facto replacement, with Bayern chief executive Oliver Khan having confirmed the club do not plan to sign another senior forward this transfer window.

Bayern have also brought in defender Matthijs de Ligt from Juventus, as well as Noussair Mazraoui and Ryan Gravenberch from Ajax and teenage attacker Mathys Tel from Rennes.

Niklas Sule, Corentin Tolisso, Marc Roca, Omar Richards and Chris Richards are members of the first-team squad to have also left alongside Lewandowski, but Nagelsmann is confident his side have improved overall.

"I'm looking forward to the start with great anticipation I tend to put pressure on myself," Nagelsmann told a news conference ahead of Bayern's Bundesliga opener against Eintracht Frankfurt.

"I read very little. It's normal for Bayern Munich that we always strive for the highest. We lost a striker who scored more than 50 goals, we have to compensate for that.

"I think that's okay, our squad has improved. I know we're going to do well. The lads are very motivated."

Asked if more players might yet arrive, Nagelsmann said: "When the season starts, as a coach you focus on the players that are there and on preparing [for] the opponents.

"As a coach you have to do justice to every player in the squad. I don't have any expectations one way or the other.

"I'm very happy with the squad, and I'll see what happens between now and August 31."

As for Bayern's goals this season, Nagelsmann is aiming to improve on their trophy haul. A 10th straight Bundesliga title arrived last term, but they exited the DFB-Pokal early on and lost to Villarreal in the Champions League quarter-finals.

"My first championship was nice. The club is longing for more," Nagelsmann said. "The goal will be to come to Berlin and win the [DFB-Pokal] trophy. We also want to get further in the Champions League.

"It always depends on how lucky we are at the draw and the games. I would also like to take a photo with more titles in it. Maybe we can do that after this season."

Death, taxes and Bayern Munich winning the Bundesliga title.

It is slightly paraphrasing the old idiom to say these are the only three things certain in life.

Such is the optimism of football fandom, though, the question always arises ahead of the new campaign whether this year will be the one where someone steps up and takes Bayern's throne.

The 2021-22 season saw the Bavarian giants claim their 10th Bundesliga title in a row, with Julian Nagelsmann leading Bayern to the championship by eight points in his first season at the Allianz Arena.

Since Jurgen Klopp's exciting Borussia Dortmund side of 2011-12, no team has been able to halt the relentless Bayern dominance of German football.

In fact, in the last decade, only the 2018-19 campaign saw anyone finish closer than the eight points Dortmund were behind last season, when BVB were just two points shy of their Der Klassiker rivals.

How can anyone seriously make the argument that their run will halt any time soon then? Well, let Stats Perform have a go as we take a look at some of the reasons why Bayern might struggle to maintain their stranglehold in 2022-23.

Loss of Lewy means new Bayern approach

Bayern's signing of Robert Lewandowski from Dortmund in 2014 was one of the catalysts for their concerted period of dominance.

However, after eight years of service and 238 goals in 253 Bundesliga games for Bayern, the Poland striker wanted to move on and eventually sealed a transfer to Barcelona.

His goals-per-game ratio in the German top flight of 0.94 bested even the great Gerd Muller (0.85), and his loss was certainly not one Bayern had planned for, with the club initially indicating they expected him to honour the final year of his contract, before finally relenting.

Despite being 33 years old, Lewandowski's impact had not waned at all, with him scoring 50 goals in all club competitions last season, making it seven consecutive seasons with at least 40 goals to his name.

Nagelsmann has insisted his team will evolve in Lewandowski's absence, though, and the signing of Sadio Mane appears to suggest that.

After Lewandowski's sale was confirmed, Nagelsmann told BR24: "I'm not worried right now, we are very well-equipped offensively and I'm still spoiled for choice. We have a possibility of building FC Bayern without a striker that can reliably score 40 goals."

With 120 goals in all competitions for Liverpool, Mane averaged a goal every 178.3 minutes for the Reds – a return of one in slightly under two matches. He also assisted 37 goals, meaning he was directly involved in a goal every 137 minutes.

In the Premier League, only Harry Kane (134), former team-mate Mohamed Salah (118) and Leicester City's Jamie Vardy (104) scored more goals than Mane (90) over the course of his Liverpool career.

His scoring rate has never been close to that of Lewandowski, though he has played a significant amount of his career on the left of a front three rather than through the middle, where he ended last season for Liverpool and is expected to mostly play at Bayern.

That means the likes of Serge Gnabry, Leroy Sane, Kingsley Coman, Jamal Musiala and Thomas Muller will need to step up and contribute more goals, while it will be interesting to see if 17-year-old striker Mathys Tel will feature much in his first season after signing from Rennes.

The club has also added Ryan Gravenberch and Noussair Mazraoui from Ajax, while former Ajax defender Matthijs de Ligt has arrived from Juventus to replace the outgoing Niklas Sule, who chose to swap Munich for Dortmund when his contract expired.

Will Dortmund finally solve flakiness issue?

Marco Rose looked to be a very astute appointment in 2021, but the former Borussia Monchengladbach boss just did not work out at Dortmund.

Rose has been replaced by Edin Terzic, who enjoyed a spell as caretaker boss in the second half of the 2020-21 campaign, winning the DFB-Pokal.

Terzic now has the reins permanently and has two big jobs on his hands.

The first is fixing a leaky defence, which conceded 52 goals in the Bundesliga last season, more than any other team to finish in the top eight, and only one goal fewer than relegated Arminia Bielefeld.

The club may have addressed the issue in the transfer market as they have essentially procured the German national team's central defence by adding Sule from Bayern on a free transfer and the highly rated Nico Schlotterbeck from Freiburg.

Schlotterbeck won 69 per cent of his duels in the Bundesliga last season, the joint-most of all players who contested at least 100 duels, while Sule was third with 68 per cent.

Another issue that needed addressing was similar to Bayern's Lewandowski issue, with Erling Haaland having departed for Manchester City.

The Norwegian scored 86 goals in 89 appearances at Dortmund, including 22 of their 85 league goals last season, though he was only able to feature in 24 games due to injury.

Sebastien Haller was signed to replace Haaland but will unfortunately miss the first few months of the campaign after undergoing surgery for a testicular tumour.

The addition of exciting young talent Karim Adeyemi from Salzburg will give them a dynamic in attack they have missed since selling Jadon Sancho to Manchester United, while in Haller's absence it will be interesting to see if Youssoufa Moukoko, still just 17-years-old, can add to the five Bundesliga goals he already has to his name.

Having also signed defensive midfielder Salih Ozcan from Cologne to provide some steel alongside Jude Bellingham, who it appears they will be keeping hold of for another season at least, the balance of a frequently wobbly side could be there for Terzic to build some momentum.

Best of the rest

Bayer Leverkusen enjoyed a strong campaign last season and have replaced Lucas Alario with promising Czech striker Adam Hlozek.

They also appear to have fought off interest in Moussa Diaby so it would not be a surprise to see them go well again, but with Champions League football to contend with, questions remain whether they have the depth of squad to excel on all fronts.

RB Leipzig will hope to provide a challenge and have also kept hold of their star player in Christopher Nkunku, though losing Tyler Adams and Nordi Mukiele will be a blow, while Eintracht Frankfurt will want to build on last season's Europa League success.

It would be churlish to write Bayern off, of course. They go into the season as heavy favourites and rightly so.

Mane might not have the same goalscoring output as Lewandowski, but football has proven time and again that having one player who scores lots of goals is not the only way to be successful.

The African Football Player of the Year has the chance to be the face of the new Bayern, where everyone will be expected to chip in and Nagelsmann can truly cement his ideas on the team.

However, while Bayern have been somewhat forced into a new era, Dortmund appear to have reached theirs more by design and if everything clicks early on for Terzic, an exciting title race could develop.

After all, the only thing that is certain about football is that nothing is certain.

Julian Nagelsmann described Jamal Musiala's display in the 5-3 DFL-Supercup win over RB Leipzig on Saturday as "world class".

Musiala, 19, got Bayern on their way early in the first half with a cool finish, before playing an integral role in their next two goals as they went in at the break 3-0 up.

He played an incisive pass into Serge Gnabry, who picked out Sadio Mane for a goal on his competitive debut for Bayern, before teeing up Benjamin Pavard to make it three.

Musiala made 40 appearances across all competitions last season, yet only 18 came as a starter.

Asked if he is likely to become a regular fixture in his starting XI this season, Nagelsmann said: "Of course, that is up to him. If he plays like he did today then he is indispensable to the team.

"He had an outstanding preparation, and was very diligent. He has improved defensively. His performance today was world class."

Bayern's marquee signing ahead of the 2022-23 campaign, Mane, opened his account with a simple close-range finish in the first half and saw two efforts ruled out for offside after the break.

Nagelsmann was thrilled with the former Liverpool forward's contribution and believes his presence brings out the best in other players.

"It was a very good performance," he added. "He's humble, down to earth, hardworking, and he pushes the boys in the dressing room.

"He is a player with outstanding quality, and he's an outstanding guy."

Leroy Sane came off the bench to add a fifth goal with the last kick of the game after Leipzig had pulled two goals back having been 4-1 behind.

Nagelsmann was impressed by the former Manchester City forward, but believes there is still plenty of room for improvement.

"He's done a lot better in the past week and a half," the Bayern boss said.

"He's a great person and an outstanding footballer. He scored a great goal today. We can get him where we want him to be. We have to continue working on it together."

Saturday's triumph was Bayern's 10th in the DFL-Supercup, further extending their record in the competition.

Their bid for an 11th consecutive Bundesliga title starts on Friday with a trip to Eintracht Frankfurt.

Julian Nagelsmann has no fears about being fired by Bayern Munich if he hits a rough patch of form this term, saying the only pressure he feels is his own need to succeed.

The Bundesliga champions get their new campaign under way against RB Leipzig in the DFL-Supercup on Saturday, before kicking off their league title defence next Friday against Eintracht Frankfurt.

Head coach Nagelsmann tasted success in his maiden season at the helm at Allianz Arena, but the 35-year-old's first campaign was far from the cakewalk Bayern have appeared to enjoy under varying predecessors in the past few years.

The loss of Robert Lewandowski this term also represents a major blow when it comes to firepower, and questions are being asked about whether this could be the year the club's league monopoly is cracked.

But Nagelsmann feels the only pressure he faces comes from himself, and that whatever challenges his side square up to will happen come what may for him.

"I always put the pressure on myself," he said. "I want to play the most successful football possible, which is also nice to look at from the outside. I feel little pressure from outside.

"It's not about life and death in football. If I get fired at some point, I'll be fired – I'm not too afraid of that! That's the way it is in the job. I don't feel the pressure from outside, only my pressure to succeed.

"We want to do certain things better than in the second half of the season [but] I don't really give a damn about the pressure that's coming from outside."

While Bayern have brought in fresh recruits this summer, including Sadio Mane and Matthijs de Ligt, the departure of Lewandowski remains a major void they are arguably yet to fill.

Bayern admire Tottenham and England striker Harry Kane, but it appears far-fetched to imagine them bringing him in now, given how tenaciously Spurs clung to Kane when Manchester City wanted him 12 months ago.

Nagelsmann has not ruled out finding a successor to Lewandowski before time runs out, adding: "There are still four weeks that the transfer window is open, so something could still happen. We are keeping our eyes on the market."

Bayern Munich's Julian Nagelsmann has no problem with being accused of "ignorance" by Joan Laporta as the Barcelona president "has to represent his club."

Nagelsmann questioned Barca's spending spree after they signed Robert Lewandowski from Bayern this month for a fee that could rise to €50million.

Barca had to let Lionel Messi leave a year ago due to their financial crisis, but they have also signed Raphinha and Jules Kounde for big fees ahead of the 2022-23 season, while bringing in Andreas Christensen and Franck Kessie on free transfers.

Bayern head coach Nagelsmann stated that Barca are "the only club in the world that can buy players without money" after Lewandowski's switch to Spain.

Laporta responded by stating that Nagelsmann was being ignorant, adding that rival clubs should mind their own business.

Questioned about Laporta's comments ahead of Bayern's DFL-Supercup showdown with RB Leipzig, Nagelsmann told reporters: "It's good that he expresses himself, I would do that too.

"It was just a question from a fan point of view. I have no problem with Laporta speaking out, he has to represent his club."

Tottenham boss Antonio Conte also recently suggested Nagelsmann had been "disrespectful" by expressing his admiration for Harry Kane amid reports the Bundesliga champions could make a move for the England captain.

Nagelsmann says he has a good relationship with Conte, however, as he defended himself for giving honest answers.

He said: "I'll always give my opinion in the future. I don't write down all my answers before the press conference.

"It's coming spontaneously, that's maybe not always the smartest thing. I don't have a problem with Conte or Laporta responding back, that's part of the game.

"It wasn't a dramatic statement, I have a good relationship with Conte."

Joan Laporta believes Bayern Munich coach Julian Nagelsmann showed "ignorance" by expressing his bemusement over Barcelona's spending spree.

Barca this month signed Bayern's prolific striker Robert Lewandowski for a fee that is said to rise up to €50million and also brought Raphinha to Camp Nou in a big-money move from Leeds United.

The Catalan giants have also agreed a deal to sign Jules Kounde from Sevilla for a reported €55m, while Franck Kessie and Andreas Christensen arrived as free agents.

Barcelona could not afford to keep Lionel Messi a year ago due to a financial crisis at the club, but in recent months they have sold 25 per cent of the club's television rights for the next 25 years and secured a hugely lucrative sponsorship deal with Spotify.

Nagelsmann stated that Barca are "the only club in the world that can buy players without money" after Lewandowski's departure.

Barca president Laporta, however, says Nagelsmann should get his facts right.

He told reporters: "What I would ask is that you look at your current account, they have received significant money from the transfer of Lewandowski. I respect everyone and do not interfere in the economy of other."

Laporta added: "I give them the benefit of the doubt that maybe they thought we couldn't, but they hadn't gauged the strength of Barca and the drive of the new board.

"It is ignorance, lack of information from our club. It is true that we were in a terminal situation, but we left the hospital with the levers and these gentlemen have remained on a page that we have turned."

Laporta thinks rivals club are clearly worried that Barca will be a force again.

"If I don't get involved in what others do, they shouldn't get involved in what we do," he said.

"Perhaps they do it because they think that we will continue to act in the market and they see that we have surpassed them. Let them worry about their own.

He continued: "Barca is competitive again and will compete in all competitions. The weight and strength of a club with more than 122 years of history is very great, its assets are highly valued. 

"It is true that I would have liked not to sell the percentage of television rights, but the situation was complicated and required being brave and making decisions, because football does not wait and our fans, who are very well accustomed, deserve a club like Barca to compete. Our demands are greater than those of others."

Julian Nagelsmann praised Matthijs de Ligt and Sadio Mane after they marked their Bayern Munich debuts by scoring in a 6-2 rout of DC United.

De Ligt scored with a sweet volley less than two minutes after coming on as a half-time substitute at Audi Field on Wednesday after Mane had opened the scoring from the penalty spot early on.

Netherlands defender De Ligt was only on the field for 25 minutes before he was withdrawn by Nagelsmann, but the Bayern head coach allayed concerns that his new recruit from Juventus may have sustained an injury.

Mane, signed from Liverpool last month, also set up a goal for Serge Gnabry before Nagelsmann sent out a totally different side for the second half.

Nagelsmann was pleased the impact his new signings made and allayed concerns over De Ligt's fitness ahead of a friendly against Manchester City in Green Bay on Saturday.

He said: "Both players have made a good start.

"Matthijs scored a brilliant goal with his left foot. I saw his impressive passing with his left foot in training today, and now this brilliant finish as well." 

Nagelsmann added of De Ligt's withdrawal: "He's not got an injury, nothing unusual happened. I think he'll be fit again tomorrow and will be able to play on Saturday."

Ryan Gravenberch and Noussair Mazraoui also caught the eye on their debuts, with the former providing an assist for Thomas Muller to complete the scoring.

Nagelsmann said: "Both have done really well, especially in training.

"The final ball from Ryan was brilliant. He's big but he's very quick on his feet. He played a great pass to Thomas."

Julian Nagelsmann has questioned Barcelona's transfer dealings in this window after the club completed a move for Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski.

The Poland international has made the move to Camp Nou in a €50million deal, including add-ons, signing a four-year contract with the Blaugrana.

The veteran striker has already linked up with his new squad and was in the crowd for their 6-0 pre-season rout of Inter Miami on Tuesday.

Yet Bayern boss Nagelsmann has been left baffled by the club's transfer activity, given their well-publicised financial difficulties.

Barca have also signed Raphinha from Leeds United in a deal reportedly worth up to €67million, including add-ons, despite facing stringent fiscal limits.

"They got a lot of new players, not only Robert," Nagelsmann said.

"I don't know how to be honest, it's the only club in the world that can buy players without money. It's kind of weird and crazy."

Barca also have signed Franck Kessie and Andreas Christensen on free transfers, but questions remain over registering their new recruits.

The Blaugrana will likely have to offload players in order to free up financial cap space to fit La Liga's rules, with Frenkie de Jong long linked with a move to Manchester United.

Bayern, meanwhile, have moved to strengthen with the transfer of Matthijs de Ligt this week from Juventus, following their earlier purchase of Sadio Mane from Liverpool.

Matthijs de Ligt leaving Juventus for Bayern Munich is a "good sign" for the Bundesliga champions and the German top flight, according to Julian Nagelsmann.

The centre-back joined Bayern in a deal worth a reported €80million and signed a five-year contract on Monday, ending his three-year spell in Turin.

De Ligt became the fourth arrival this transfer window for Bayern after the additions of Sadio Mane and Ajax duo Noussair Mazraoui and Ryan Gravenberch.

Bayern reportedly beat away interest from Chelsea and Manchester United for De Ligt, who played 2,675 minutes for Juve last season – the most of any outfield player.

Nagelsmann, speaking to reporters on Bayern's pre-season tour in the United States, insists the signing of De Ligt will help his side and German football develop.

"I'm very happy that we got him. He's still very young and he's already had a great career," coach Nagelsmann said. 

"It's a good sign for us and for the whole Bundesliga that we got him. He's a leader and he can do other things, mentoring the players. I hope he can get to know his team-mates soon.

"Of course we don't have [Robert] Lewandowski anymore, so it's important that he also brings his strengths in front of goal as well. I'm hoping for seven or eight goals!"

Lewandowski scored 50 goals in all competitions last campaign, the most across Europe's top five leagues, but has left for Barcelona in a transfer worth up to €50m on a four-year contract.

Though Nagelsmann acknowledged Bayern will miss the talismanic striker, the 34-year-old suggested it is the time for other players to step up in his absence, such as Kinglsey Coman.

"He's one of the most important players for us. He's very good at solving one-on-one situations, whether he's playing left or right," Nagelsmann said of the France international.

"He's also great at crossing and finishing well. He could score more goals in the future. There were many situations in the past where he could have scored.

"We don't have Lewandowski anymore and we need players like him, Sadio, Thomas [Muller and] Jamal [Musiala].

"He's also an important part of the dressing room and speaks German very well. Last season was great but I'm already looking forward to the new season with him."

Lewandowski's 312 Bundesliga goals are the second-most scored by any player in the history of the competition, behind Gerd Muller (365), and team-mate Alphonso Davies is sad to see the forward leave.

"We didn't ask him about his decision. It was his and his family's decision. We wish him all the best," Davies said.

"It's a shame he left us because he's one of the best strikers in the world. But we still have enough quality in the squad.

"Matthijs is an incredible talent, strong, fast, a leader. It's good for us that he's coming. He will bring quality and especially leadership.

"Sadio is a great player and a great person. He's just a good guy and a hard worker."

Barcelona have confirmed the final agreement to sign Robert Lewandowski from Bayern Munich for €50million, including add-ons, on a four-year contract.

The Poland international travelled to Miami to meet his new team-mates on Sunday, the day after Barca confirmed they had struck an agreement in principle with Bayern.

Lewandowski subsequently passed his medical, with Bayern "officially" announcing his departure on Tuesday.

Barca soon confirmed the transfer details for the talismanic striker, who will have a €500m buyout clause.

The 33-year-old scored 50 goals across all competitions last season, the most across Europe's top five leagues, as Bayern lifted their 10th Bundesliga title in a row.

Lewandowski broke Gerd Muller's long-standing Bundesliga record by scoring 41 goals in a single season in the 2020-21 campaign, while his 43 league goals in 2021 serve as the record for a calendar year in Germany's top tier.

The forward's 312 Bundesliga goals are the second-most scored by any player in competition's history, behind Muller (365), while he leaves Bayern having accumulated 344 goals and 57 assists across 375 appearances in all competitions.

Though Julian Nagelsmann was reluctant to let Lewandowski leave, he suggested Bayern's game plan will become more "unpredictable" after his departure.

"When someone like Robert plays up front, you play more crosses," he told reporters on Bayern's pre-season tour in the United States. "The way we're going to play will change. It's a new Bayern Munich.

"It will be a challenge – and I like challenges. It's good for everyone, we have to find new ways and be creative.

"In the past it might have been easier for the opponent to prepare for our game. Now we're going to be even more unpredictable."

Bayern Munich head coach Julian Nagelsmann is "not worried" despite losing star striker Robert Lewandowski.

The 33-year-old scored 50 goals last season – the most of all players in Europe's top five leagues – but pushed for a transfer away from the Allianz Arena with one year remaining on his deal and finally got his wish on Saturday as Barcelona secured his signature.

The total fee will reportedly be €50million including add-ons, but Nagelsmann is not concerned about being able to replace the potent talisman.

"Robert Lewandowski had an outstanding eight years at Bayern. It's a big challenge to replace him," he told BR24. 

"I'm not worried right now, we are very well-equipped offensively and I'm still spoiled for choice.We have a possibility of building FC Bayern without a striker that can reliably score 40 goals.

"It's an interesting task for me and my coaching staff, as well as for [sporting director] Hasan Salihamidzic and [CEO] Oliver Kahn."

Bayern have already signed Sadio Mane from Liverpool, while midfielder Ryan Gravenberch and right-back Noussair Mazraoui have also recently joined from Ajax.

After Serge Gnabry signed a new deal with the Bundesliga champions on Saturday, Nagelsmann still has a number of forward options at his disposal.

Newcomer Mane played a number of games through the middle of the attack for Liverpool last season, while Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting and Joshua Zirkzee, who scored 18 goals in 47 games on loan at Anderlecht last season, also remain at the club.

"With Sadio Mane, we signed a player who played a lot as centre-forward for Liverpool last season, who is a different type of player to Lewy, not a classic striker," Nagelsmann added. 

"But we also have a lot of personnel to play with two centre-forwards."

Sadio Mane's selfless attitude increased Julian Nagelsmann's desire for Bayern Munich to sign him from Liverpool. 

Bayern completed a €41 million (£35.2m) move for Mane on Wednesday, with the Senegal international signing a three-year contract at the Allianz Arena. 

The 30-year-old told the media at his presentation he would happily play "in three or four positions" for Bayern, but that decision lied with Nagelsmann. 

It was this team-spirited perspective that motivated Bayern to push the deal through. 

"Right from the first conversation he made a very selfless impression, which is extraordinary for a player with such a big name," Nagelsmann told the club's official website.  

"He said, quite modestly, he can imagine himself in any position.

"It's rare to experience that in a first conversation, that a player puts themselves completely at the service of the club and the coach. That made our urge to get the signing over the line even greater. 

"We have to wait and see what happens in the transfer market, but Sadio is a player who can easily play in four or five positions - and can also switch during the match." 

Nagelsmann was delighted to see a big-name arrival at the club with Robert Lewandowski hoping the Bundesliga champions will sell him to Barcelona rather than force him to see out the final year of his contract. 

The Bayern boss said: "We're Bayern Munich, we always have the chance to bid for big stars. 

"Sometimes we hit financial limits, especially with guys who are playing in England. That was different with Sadio because he has great desire for our project, our club and his team-mates. I was delighted." 

Bayern Munich will look for a record-extending 11th Bundesliga title in the 2022-23 campaign, with Borussia Dortmund or RB Leipzig the likely challengers to stop them.

Julian Nagelsmann's side sealed the 2021-22 championship with three games left to play after a 3-1 victory over fierce rivals Dortmund in late April.

The Bundesliga champions have to wait until matchday nine for the first Der Klassiker league meeting, with that clash to be played at Dortmund's Signal Iduna Park between October 7 and October 10.

Nagelsmann's side will then hope to have gained an advantage in the league before they head for their first league game against Leipzig, away in January after the World Cup has taken place.

Bayern beat Dortmund three times across the German top flight and DFL-Supercup last season, and the return meeting will take place at Allianz Arena between March 31 and April 3.

The Bavaria giants will again hope to wrap up the title with games to spare, with a potentially tricky task at home to Leipzig their penultimate game before concluding their campaign away to Cologne.

Bayern's 2022-23 Bundesliga fixtures in full:
 

05/08/2022 - Eintracht Frankfurt (a)
12/08/2022 - Wolfsburg (h)
19/08/2022 - Bochum (a)
26/08/2022 - Borussia Monchengladbach (h)
02/09/2022 - Union Berlin (a)
09/09/2022 - Stuttgart (h)
16/09/2022 - Augsburg (a)
30/09/2022 - Bayer Leverkusen (h)
07/10/2022 - Borussia Dortmund (a)
14/10/2022 - Freiburg (h)
21/10/2022- Hoffenheim (a)
28/10/2022 - Mainz (h)
04/11/2022 - Hertha (a)
08/11/2022 - Werder Bremen (h)
11/11/2022 - Schalke (a)
20/01/2023 - RB Leipzig (a)
24/01/2023 - Cologne (h)
27/01/2023 - Eintracht Frankfurt (h)
03/02/2023 - Wolfsburg (a)
10/02/2023 - Bochum (h)
17/02/2023 - Borussia Monchengladbach (a)
24/02/2023 - Union Berlin (h)
03/03/2023 - Stuttgart (a)
10/03/2023 - Augsburg (h)
17/03/2023 - Bayer Leverkusen (a)
31/03/2023 - Borussia Dortmund (h)
08/04/2023 - Freiburg (a)
14/04/2023 - Hoffenheim (h)
21/04/2023 - Mainz (a)
28/04/2023 - Hertha (h)
05/05/2023 - Werder Bremen (a)
12/05/2023 - Schalke (h)
19/05/2023 - RB Leipzig (h)
27/05/2023 - Cologne (a)

Germany coach Hansi Flick warned his side of the qualities England possess as he prepares for a "classic" in the Nations League on Tuesday.

England were far from their best as they fell to a 1-0 defeat on Saturday to Hungary in their League A Group 3 opener, while Germany shared the spoils with Italy.

Die Mannschaft host the Three Lions in Munich for the next Nations League encounter, with England winning the last meeting 2-0 at Euro 2020 last June.

Indeed, Germany have failed to score in their last two matches against England (0-0 in November 2017, 0-2 in June 2021), as many as in their previous 16 games combined.

Flick, speaking at a pre-match news conference on Monday, outlined his expectations for the difficulties Gareth Southgate's visitors will pose as he hailed the threat of captain and talisman Harry Kane.

"It's a classic, the games are always something special. Everything else is in the past. We're looking ahead and trying to get a better result tomorrow," the former Bayern Munich boss said.

"We showed the team what we could have done better against Italy. It's important that we go into the game with a good feeling.

"Against England it's extremely important that we keep up. The football in the Premier League is very physical.

"Harry Kane is a world-class striker and England have a lot of outstanding players in their ranks."

While Flick was quick to credit Tottenham star Kane, who has scored in both of his England appearances against Germany, he also heaped praise on the undervalued Timo Werner.

"I'll keep my thoughts to myself, but both can play in the position," he said when asked who would start between Chelsea pair Kai Havertz and Werner. 

"Timo is underestimated a bit, with also what he does for the team. He creates space in front of the defence. Both are an option for us up top."

As for his return to the Allianz Arena, Flick is looking forward to revisiting his old Bayern stadium and credited the work of his successor Julian Nagelsmann, who guided the Bavarian side to the Bundesliga title.

"It's been a long time since I enjoyed a full house in Munich, so I hope the team will be supported. I hope we play well and have the support of the crowd," he continued.

"For me, the performances with the national team and in training here are decisive. Bayern have played an outstanding season.

"The championship title is the most honest title you can win, so compliments again to Julian Nagelsmann. It's important that the players now perform well here."

Julian Nagelsmann is taking emotion out of the situation after it was confirmed Robert Lewandowski wants to leave Bayern Munich.

Lewandowski scored his 50th goal of the season across all competitions as Bayern capped off another successful Bundesliga campaign by drawing 2-2 at Wolfsburg on Saturday.

However, it was revealed before the match that the 33-year-old had refused the offer of a new deal.

Lewandowski is under contract until the end of next season but wants a new challenge after eight years with the Bundesliga giants. Barcelona have been heavily linked with making a move.

While Nagelsmann acknowledged it will be a loss whenever Lewandowski does leave Bayern – the club must decide whether to cash in over the coming months or instead keep him for next season and allow a free transfer – he insisted there is no time for sadness.

Instead, he must focus on the task of finding a replacement for a player who has broken countless records.

Nagelsmann told a news conference: "Yes, it is or would be a loss, but he still has a contract until 2023, and I think we have all already commented on this.

"There is also no other statement about it, except that he has a contract until 2023. There is really nothing more to report.

"Of course, it's always the case that if you lose a very good player, or lose a player in general, then it's always not nice. 'Sad' is maybe the wrong word, there are other things in life to be sad about.

"It rather gives the incentive to look for a new striker after the next season or in the next season who can then replace Lewy. That is then the job we have to do.

"There is little room for sadness, but you have to try to make the best out of the situation for the future."

Reflecting on his first season as Bayern coach, in which he led the Bavarians to a 10th straight Bundesliga title but failed to get past the quarter-finals in the Champions League, Nagelsmann said: "It was tough. It was not that easy this season.

"The first half of the season was good. We expected another result in the cup, but in the end, we were very good in the Champions League group stage, and we were very good in the league.

"In the second part of the season, we were struggling a little bit. It was not that stable anymore. Sometimes we played well, we did not get the best results, especially in the Champions League. At the end, I think we could have done it a bit better."