FC Bayern Beat RB Leipzig 3-1 in Telekom Cup Friendly at Allianz Arena

FC Bayern Munich beat RB Leipzig 3-1 on Saturday, August 15, 2026, in the Telekom Cup preseason friendly at the Allianz Arena, with Luis Díaz, Nathaniel Brown, and Jamal Musiala scoring for the hosts after Brajan Gruda had briefly levelled for the visitors. The result gave Vincent Kompany’s side a confidence boost one week before the Franz Beckenbauer Supercup against Borussia Dortmund and the 2026/27 Bundesliga opener.

Kickoff was at 15:30 CEST on a hot afternoon in Munich, with both clubs using hydration breaks to manage the heat. Bayern fielded a youthful lineup without Harry Kane and Michael Olise, who had only returned to training on August 14 after the summer’s FIFA World Cup commitments.

Editor’s note: This article draws on match coverage from Bundesliga.com, Bavarian Football Works, FC Bayern Munich, and Eurosport Deutschland, August 15, 2026. Lineups and scorers reflect the completed Telekom Cup fixture.

Match at a glance

Detail	Information
Competition	Telekom Cup 2026 (preseason friendly)
Date	Saturday, August 15, 2026
Venue	Allianz Arena, Munich
Kickoff	15:30 CEST
Final score	Bayern Munich 3–1 RB Leipzig

Goal timeline

Minute	Team	Scorer	Notes
14’	Bayern	Luis Díaz	Opened scoring after a cutback deflected into his path
52’	Leipzig	Brajan Gruda	Equalizer after Leipzig grew into the match
57’	Bayern	Nathaniel Brown	Left-back finished a pass from Aleksandar Pavlović
81’	Bayern	Jamal Musiala	Curled finish; assisted by Ismael Saibari on his Bayern debut

Bayern controlled long stretches but Leipzig created the sharper chances at times — Johan Bakayoko hit the post early in the second half, and Mohamed Banzuzi headed millimetres wide before Gruda’s equalizer. Brown’s strike restored the lead within minutes, and Musiala sealed the win after both came off the bench in the second period.

How the game unfolded

First half: Díaz strikes, Laimer limps off

Leipzig, coached by former Bayern defender Martín Demichelis, pressed aggressively in the opening minutes and forced an early save from Manuel Neuer through André Gomis.

Bayern settled and took the lead in the 14th minute when Tim Binder cut inside from the right. His attempted pass was intercepted, but the loose ball fell to Luis Díaz, who finished calmly from inside the box for 1-0.

Konrad Laimer went down after a collision with David Raum in the eighth minute and was unable to continue. Sacha Boey replaced him in the 10th minute — a notable cameo for a player Bayern have listed among those available for transfer.

A hydration break at 23 minutes interrupted play in the heat. Leipzig improved before the interval: Banzuzi nearly equalized with a header that grazed the post in the 40th minute, and Bakayoko forced another Neuer save before halftime.

Second half: Gruda replies, Bayern pull away

Bakayoko struck the woodwork again within a minute of the restart. Leipzig’s pressure paid off in the 52nd minute when Brajan Gruda converted to make it 1-1.

Bayern responded quickly. In the 57th minute, Pavlović played Brown through on the left, and the full-back slid the ball past Maarten Vandevoordt for 2-1.

Min-jae Kim suffered a leg injury around the 66th minute and was replaced by Hiroki Ito. During a second hydration break, Kompany introduced Musiala, Saibari, Alphonso Davies, Maycon Cardozo, and Wisdom Mike.

Saibari, making his first appearance in a Bayern shirt, set up Musiala in the 81st minute. The midfielder curled beyond Vandevoordt for 3-1. Musiala later left the pitch in the 86th minute after taking a knock and headed to the dressing room, with Bara Sapoko Ndiaye replacing him.

Squad notes and Palhinha omission

Bayern’s confirmed starting XI was Neuer (c) – Laimer, Tah, Kim, Brown – Kimmich, Pavlović – Binder, Bischof, Ibrahimović – Díaz.

Notable absentees included Kane, Olise, Serge Gnabry, and Lennart Karl. João Palhinha was also left out of the matchday squad — a decision that landed alongside continued transfer speculation.

Sporting director Max Eberl had said earlier in August that Palhinha, Boey, and Bryan Zaragoza are not part of Bayern’s plans for 2026/27 and that the club wants permanent moves rather than loans. Talks with Aston Villa reportedly collapsed when Villa sought a loan and Bayern insisted on a sale; Newcastle United have also been linked with the Portuguese midfielder.

Leipzig started Vandevoordt – Baku, Orbán, Lukeba, Raum (c) – Seiwald, Banzuzi – Maksimović, Gruda, Nusa – Gomis, with Christoph Baumgartner and Assan Ouédraogo unavailable through injury.

Injury concerns before competitive football

The friendly carried a physical cost for Bayern:

Player	Incident	Outcome
Konrad Laimer	Collision with Raum, ~8’	Substituted for Boey at 10’
Min-jae Kim	Left-leg issue, ~66’	Replaced by Ito
Jamal Musiala	Knock, 86’	Left pitch for dressing room; Ndiaye on

Kompany will hope the knocks are minor with the Supercup against Dortmund on Friday, August 22 and the Bundesliga home opener against VfB Stuttgart on August 28 approaching.

Context and what’s next

The Telekom Cup has been a Bayern preseason staple since 2009. Last summer, the Bavarians beat Tottenham Hotspur 4-0 in the same fixture. Saturday’s opponent carried extra narrative weight: Demichelis spent seven years as a Bayern player and now leads a Leipzig side that Bayern dominated last season, winning both league meetings by an aggregate 11-1 and eliminating them from the DFB Cup.

Club	Next fixture	Date
Bayern	Franz Beckenbauer Supercup vs. Borussia Dortmund	Friday, August 22, 2026
Leipzig	DFB Cup first round at Eintracht Trier	Friday, August 22, 2026
Bayern	Bundesliga opener vs. VfB Stuttgart (H)	Friday, August 28, 2026

For Leipzig, a test against 1. FC Heidenheim is scheduled on Tuesday, August 19, before cup and league duty begins.

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Discussion

A preseason scoreline is never definitive — but injuries, debuts, and a midfielder watching from the sidelines made this Telekom Cup more than a routine friendly.

1. João Palhinha was omitted as Bayern push for a permanent exit. With Aston Villa talks reportedly dead and Newcastle linked, where does the 31-year-old realistically land before the window closes?

Does staying in Munich without a role make sense for either party?

2. Musiala scored but left hurt in the 86th minute, while Laimer and Kim also went off injured. How much should Kompany rotate before the Supercup against Dortmund on August 22?

Bayern’s depth looked useful through Brown and Saibari — but the medical room is already busy before a ball is kicked in the league.

Share your take on Bayern’s preseason form and whether Leipzig can close the gap this season.