New Wolfsburg boss Steve McClaren is champing at the bit to test out his side against Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich on Friday night.
After guiding FC Twente to an unexpected Dutch title last season, McClaren was appointed as the new coach of Wolfsburg - the first Englishman to hold such a position in the German top flight - and his immediate challenge is against last year's double winners.
"I am obviously looking forward to the start of the season like everybody else," he said. "Games like this are what makes doing this job so enjoyable.
"And I am proud to be working in Germany and to be the first English coach here."
McClaren takes charge of the 2009 Bundesliga winners tomorrow night and will be looking to guide them back to the top of the table after a year of stagnation following their league triumph 15 months ago.
However, he knows that he faces a baptism of fire at the Allianz Arena.
"We have a very big game ahead of us against the defending champions and Bayern have an excellent squad with several world class players," he said.
"We respect their team and their coach, who achieved a great deal in his first year in charge, but we are obviously concentrating less on our opponents and more on ourselves.
"This game will show us where we are at and it could not get any better than starting against Bayern."
Bayern coach Louis van Gaal will be without his compatriot Arjen Robben, who will miss the first few months of the season due to injury, but Franck Ribery is fully fit and ready.
Toni Kroos should make his second debut for the club after returning from a two-year loan spell at Bayer Leverkusen alongside Ribery and Germany's World Cup hero Thomas Muller.
Van Gaal will then have to choose between Miroslav Klose, Ivica Olic and Mario Gomez for a place as the lone striker.
Arne Friedrich and Simon Kjaer are both set to make their debuts at the heart of the Wolfsburg defence.
