Dayot Upamecano, Donyell Malen, Julian Nagelsman and the 5 Supercup debutants
The 2021 Supercup is almost upon us, with Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund providing a mouth-watering meeting for Dayot Upamecano, Donyell Malen, Julian Nagelsmann, Gregor Kobel and Josip Stanisic to enjoy their first taste of the fixture.
bundesliga.com shines a spotlight on those five players (and coaches) looking to claim Supercup glory at the first attempt.
Upamecano has twice come close to earning his spot in the Supercup by getting his hands on the DFB Cup but had to settle for runners-up medals in 2018/19 and 2020/21 after defeats to both teams on this week's Klassiker divide.
As an RB Leipzig player, the France international also finished second behind his new employers in both 2016/17 and his final campaign at the Red Bull Arena last term.
Watch: Why Dayot Upamecano is a perfect signing for Bayern Munich
The 22-year-old now has the opportunity to earn a first trophy in Germany in just his second Bayern appearance, such is life at the serial Bundesliga champions - where success is not only expected but is demanded.
It's safe to say that Upamecano has already bought into Bayern's deeply ingrained winning mentality, saying on his first day at the club: "I want to help the team and I'll give everything so we can win many games."
It may be Malen's German Supercup debut, but the former PSV Eindhoven striker has previously featured in two Dutch equivalents.
He will be hoping that his Supercup bow in Germany fares better than those in his homeland, however, having tasted defeat in the Netherlands' traditional curtain-raiser in both 2018 and 2019.
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Again, though, Malen has joined Dortmund hoping to take his game to the next level and to compete for trophies across every front, whether it be the Supercup, Bundesliga, DFB Cup or UEFA Champions League.
"I just need to work hard, do my thing, score goals, give assists, bring my talents to the next level," he told Dortmund's media channels after signing this summer. "And, for the club, we always want to win the league, we want to win the Champions League and I think we need to proceed further."
Like Upamecano, Nagelsmann was on the brink of sending Leipzig into this year's Supercup but ended up having to settle for second place in both the league and cup.
Instead, his involvement was secured by Hansi Flick leading Bayern to a ninth successive league title, and it now falls on Nagelsmann to immediately provide his first contribution to the Allianz Arena trophy cabinet.
After four winless pre-season outings and an opening weekend draw with Borussia Mönchengladbach, the added demands of being Bayern boss certainly aren't lost on Nagelsmann, who said in the build-up: "It would be nice to win the first title with the first win."
Watch: Tactical analysis of Nagelsmann's Bayern
In the opposition dugout, Marco Rose is similarly hoping for a first trophy at the first attempt as Dortmund coach and goes into his own Supercup debut on the back of an eye-catching demolition of Eintracht Frankfurt on Matchday 1.
Having watched his side score eight times across his opening two competitive matches in charge, Rose is clearly buoyant going into his showdown with Nagelsmann's Bayern.
"When you come here and know the history of the club, then you want to build on it by playing for titles and that's why I'm here," he said on the eve of the tie. "We will fight for this title tomorrow."
For many, Kobel's signature was the final piece in the puzzle as Dortmund go in search of building on last season's DFB Cup glory by ending Bayern's grip on the Meisterschale.
Watch: Kobel's top 5 saves
The 23-year-old has immediately emerged as Rose's No.1 and is in no mood to relinquish the gloves, especially when a first senior trophy of his career is on the line.
He told bundesliga.com recently: "I look forward to any game where I can pull on the Dortmund shirt.
"It’s even more exciting when a trophy is up for grabs because this is what Dortmund is all about. It will be a fantastic game and I’m looking forward to it."
After just two senior appearances, 21-year-old Stanisic is now preparing to feature in his first final having emerged as Bayern's starting right-back following injury to Benjamin Pavard.
Clearly, Nagelsmann trusts the young defender to deliver in senior football, no matter the occasion.
“I was very happy with Stani, he did very well," the Bayern coach said after his team's opening day draw with Gladbach. "He defended well and did what he showed in pre-season: That he's a very reliable player."
Stanisic described playing for Bayern as "my biggest dream" when signing professional terms in July, and just a month later he will no doubt relish the chance to already play a role in Bayern securing a first trophy of the 2021/22 season.
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