Saibari’s bench debut sparks Bayern’s title push

Ismaël Saibari, the le Marocain midfielder making his Bundesliga debut for Bayern Munich, began the Friday evening match on the bench but went on to deliver two decisive assists as the Bavarians secured a 5‑1 victory over VfB Stuttgart in their opening league game.

From bench to game‑changer

Saibari, who arrived from PSV, was introduced by manager Vincent Kompany after sixty‑one minutes of play. Within minutes he supplied a cross de toute beauté that Aleksandar Pavlovic turned in eight minutes from the end for the fourth goal. He then set up Luis Diaz in injury time to complete the scoring.

Bayern’s dominant start

Dayot Upamecano opened the scoring in the first half, and the half‑time score remained unchanged. Early in the second period Stuttgart equalised through Josha Vagnoman, sparking surprise. Michael Olise restored Bayern’s lead three minutes later, before Vagnoman’s own‑goal pushed the tally to 3‑1.

Saibari had begun the day on the bench while Ramon Hendriks started for the visitors. Former Feyenoord player Leo Sauer missed the squad, still recovering from injury. Bayern will meet VfL Osnabrück in the DFB Pok al on 2 September, then travel to Schalke 04 three days later.

Future implications for Saibari

German daily awarded Saibari the highest possible rating of 1 for his debut. echoed the praise, noting his “technically brilliant” assists, while technical director Max Eberl confirmed the rating and welcomed his progress.

Opta recorded that Saibari is only the sixth player in the past 22 years to record two assists on Bundesliga debut. The exclusive club also includes Luis Diaz, Robbie Kruse, Shinji Ono, Toni Kroos and Diego.

The stark shift from a bench role to a match‑deciding influence underscores Saibari’s immediate value to Kompany’s side. His impact suggests he could become a regular option as Bayern pursue the title, with his next involvement likely in the upcoming cup tie.