Wehen Wiesbaden vs Bayern: Kompany’s Youth Side Faces Test
Opened Vincent Kompany’s pre-season with a youth-heavy Bayern lineup in Wiesbaden, where a full house watched the 3. Liga club celebrate its anniversary.
WIESBADEN — Wehen Wiesbaden vs Bayern marked Vincent Kompany’s first pre-season test on Friday, with the Bundesliga champions fielding a heavily youth-based side away to the 3. Liga club at the Brita-Arena.
The match mattered beyond the scoreline. Bayern went into the game with only six first-team players in their first week of preparation for the upcoming season because of the World Cup, while Wiesbaden welcomed the occasion as part of their anniversary celebrations in front of an expected full house.
Wehen Wiesbaden vs Bayern brings Kompany’s first look at the squad
Yahoo Sports reported that Kompany decided to send a full team of youth players for the first half, with Tom Bischof listed among the substitutes. The setup gave Bayern’s new coach an early, low-risk chance to assess young players in a competitive environment rather than a closed training session.
Confirmed lineups showed how experimental Bayern’s starting side was. The visitors began with Podar-Stiube in goal and a back line of Schaff, El Chaar, Wilson, Nuraj, Mijatovic, Ajayi, Matosevic, Della Rovere, Assomo and Pavlic, while Wiesbaden named Brdar, Ati Allah, Brandt, Flotho, Gillekens, Gözüsirin, Greilinger, Hercher, Janitzek, Karweina and Lewald.
That shape told its own story. This was not a full-strength Bayern XI. It was a first look at depth, timing and fitness.
Wiesbaden strike early in the friendly
ESPN’s live match feed showed Wiesbaden taking the lead through Ibrahim Ati Allah in the 10th minute. The opening goal came in regular play and gave the home side an immediate return for its bright start.
Before that, the hosts had already made the match lively. F. Greilinger scored in the 7th minute, while Ati Allah added the first goal that counted for Wiesbaden shortly after. Bayern’s young line kept working to settle the game, but the early pressure came from the home side.
The live timeline also recorded a yellow card for Richard Ajayi Oluwaseyi in the 19th minute. Small detail. Still important. Pre-season matches often turn on those moments, when young players learn how quickly a game can tilt.
Why the friendly matters for Bayern’s rebuild
For Bayern, the real value sat in the minutes. Kompany’s first game was never likely to reveal a finished team. It was about rhythm, roles and decisions under match conditions, especially with several senior players unavailable in the opening stretch of preparation.
That matters to supporters, too. Early pre-season lineups can look odd, even risky, but they often show which young names the staff trust first. Tom Bischof’s place on the bench was one sign. The full youth-heavy lineup was another. Bayern had to start somewhere.
Wiesbaden had their own reason to care. The club was celebrating its anniversary, and the Brita-Arena was expected to be full. For a 3. Liga side, hosting Bayern at home brings attention, money and a proper test of pace. One sharp move. One mistake. The margin is small.
A familiar meeting, another tense opening
The fixture also carried memory. Yahoo Sports noted that Wiesbaden nearly stunned Bayern when the sides met in the first round of the DFB-Pokal last season. Wiesbaden came back after falling two goals behind, before Harry Kane struck a 94th-minute penalty to settle the tie for the eventual champions.
That history gives this meeting extra edge, even in pre-season. Wiesbaden know they can ask questions of Bayern. Bayern know Wiesbaden will not fade away quietly.
ESPN’s match page listed the game at the Brita-Arena in Wiesbaden with Bayern still working through their first pre-season steps. The numbers at the break and the final whistle were still to come, but the first clear takeaway was already there: Kompany opened his Bayern era with a test built around youth, and Wiesbaden made sure it felt like one.
