Berlin (AFP)

The atmosphere is already tense at Bayern Munich. On the eve of the traditional opening match of the Bundesliga on Friday against Hertha Berlin, coach Niko Kovac urgently calls for new players by the end of the transfer window.

It's a tradition in Germany, the reigning champion opens the season in the evening (20.30) with a gala match at home: the Hertha is an opponent in his reach, but after the defeat in German Super Cup against Dortmund (2 -0 Aug. 3), anything other than a victory would put the "Rekordmeister" under strong pressure.

The leaders let go of Arjen Robben, Franck Ribery and James Rodriguez without compensation last June. Having long courted Manchester City's 23-year-old German international Leroy Sané, Bayern have finally turned to Inter Milan's Ivan Perisic of Croatia, 30, on a loan of 5m. and presented Wednesday only. "A plan B", according to the German press, after the serious injury of Sané to one knee.

On Wednesday, two days before the opening match, coach Niko Kovac sounded the alarm: "We need players to strengthen and improve the workforce" in the offensive sector, he said. The media now evoke the track of Mario Mandzukic (Juventus Turin), aged ... 33 years!

Dortmund, the main challenger of the Bavarians, has for its part considerably strengthened in the offseason (Hummels, Schulz, Brandt, Thorgan Hazard), and starts his season against Augsburg Saturday at 15:30 in his legendary Signal Iduna Park to 81,000 leased spaces year round.

This season, Berlin will be the only German city to count two clubs in the elite, with the promotion of Union Berlin, which joins the Hertha. The Union will immediately face the highest level, receiving Sunday (18:00) the RB Leipzig, the most serious competitor for the two giants Munich and Dortmund.

Bundesliga Day 1 program (local and French time):

Friday, August 16th:

(8.30 pm) Bayern Munich - Hertha Berlin

Saturday, August 17th:

(15.30) Borussia Dortmund - Augsburg

Bayer Leverkusen - SC Paderborn

VfL Wolfsburg - Cologne

Werder Bremen - Fortuna Düsseldorf

SC Freiburg - Mainz

(18h30) Borussia Mönchengladbach - Schalke

Sunday, August 18th:

(3:30 pm) Eintracht Frankfurt - Hoffenheim

(6 pm) Union Berlin - RB Leipzig

© 2019 AFP