Football has made a welcome return to the agenda at Wolfsburg in recent weeks. The final days and hours of the summer transfer window were intense for last season's German Cup winners with the protracted deal to take Kevin de Bruyne to Manchester City running until the frenzied 'Deadline Day'.

With 21 league assists last season, De Bruyne was an influential player in Wolfsburg's best finish since they won the championship in 2009. The deal eventually turned out to be a record-breaker, but the drawn-out saga virtually cost the club two points at Cologne on matchday two. At the same time, Ivan Perisic completed a move to Inter Milan, leaving the Wolves without arguably their two strongest attacking players.

Without a match-winner like De Bruyne, most observers are rethinking their predictions that Wolfsburg would be a close challenger. As Dieter Hecking's men prepare to take on unbeaten Bayern Munich on Tuesday, the Wolves have reinvented the wheel and have adapted to the loss of their Belgian and Croatian stars. The balance of responsibility has changed from individuals to the collective.

Joining for a club record transfer of 36 million euros ($40.5 million), Julian Draxler brings national team and Champions League pedigree. The 22-year-old is widely-acknowledged to be the direct replacement for De Bruyne, yet Draxler has brought his own characteristics to the side: work rate, intelligence and more security in possession.

Elsewhere, Dante signed from Bayern Munich to bolster the back four, whilst Max Kruse was already on the books following a summer move from Borussia Mönchengladbach. There might not be much star quality on show, but coming from behind to beat Bayern in the Super Cup has done wonders for confidence ahead of the first league meeting of the teams.

"Since our win in January, and recently in the Super Cup, Bayern know that if we have a good day we can take points off them," Hecking told German sports magazine "Kicker". "It has given us the feeling that we are not without our chances - and Munich the knowledge that they will have to be at their very best against us."

"We need to focus on ourselves," the coach added on Monday. "Bayern usually have 70 percent of the ball at home, if we can get 40 or 45 percent, that'll be good, and we can keep them away from our goal."

Rested and raring to go

Bayern Munich's comprehensive 3-0 win at newly-promoted Darmstadt was sealed without Philipp Lahm, Robert Lewandowski, Thiago, Xabi Alonso or Thomas Müller in the starting eleven. Pep Guardiola handed a Bundesliga debut to Joshua Kimmich and extra minutes to Sebastian Rode and Kingsley Coman who passed their tests with flying colors.

Müller played a small cameo role towards the end, but Guardiola's key men were spared the rough-and-tumble of a Bundesliga matchday as they take on six matches in 18 days, building up to a home encounter with Borussia Dortmund on October 4.

Guardiola has said previously that championships are won in the first three months and the last three. With a 100% record in the Bundesliga and Champions League, the Bavarians look menacing and thoroughly dominant - but Wolfsburg offers their first major test of the campaign.

"We are looking forward to the game against Wolfsburg, especially now that we are in a groove," said Bayern sporting director Matthias Sammer. "Olympiakos was important, Darmstadt, a promoted team was also an important game.

"Now Tuesday's match is equally important and there's nothing new in that. It is because the players are playing a lot that we would have had trouble with having them fit so that is why it was important to rest them."

"We know Wolfsburg's quality and their style of play but, as ever, it's about the three points," said Guardiola. For the first time in Bundesliga history, the top-two sides - Bayern and Dortmund - have won their first five games this season, while Mönchengladbach and Stuttgart are winless at the bottom.

Wolfsburg faces Bayern Munich on Tuesday evening at the Allianz Arena with matches beginning at 2000 CET.

Bundesliga matchday six fixtures:

Bayern Munich vs. Wolfsburg (Tuesday)

Hertha Berlin vs. Cologne

Ingolstadt vs. Hamburg

Darmstadt vs. Werder Bremen

Schalke vs. Eintracht Frankfurt (Wednesday)

Leverkusen vs. Mainz

Gladbach vs. Augsburg

Hannover vs. Stuttgart

Hoffenheim vs. Borussia Dortmund