Where Franz Beckenbauer Supercup between Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund will be won and lost

One of those showdowns will be in midfield, where Niko Kovač appears to have settled on his central pivot ahead of the new season. Jobe Bellingham and Felix Nmecha have started Dortmund’s last three friendlies together, against FC Tokyo (1-0 win), Arsenal (3-2 win) and Roma (2-2 draw).

Bellingham will look to build on the 20 league starts he made in 2025/26 and establish himself as one of the first names on the team sheet this term, with his midfield partner providing the perfect guide to becoming a force in the centre of the pitch.

Nmecha made 25 starts himself, but it would certainly have been more had he not suffered a knee injury in March last season. Nevertheless, the 25-year-old capped a standout campaign by heading to the FIFA World Cup 2026, where he started all four games for Germany before their round-of-32 exit.

Watch: Best of Felix Nmecha