Since 2002, the Bundesliga has kicked off with an official opening game played by the reigning champions. This will also be the case on the first Bundesliga matchday of the 2025/26 season.
The 2025 Bundesliga season will kick off on August 22 with a match between champions Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig.
How did the last opening matches of the Bundesliga season go? Figures, statistics, and results from the last 20 years.
Bundesliga kickoff: all official opening matches since 2002
The first official opening game of the Bundesliga season took place in the 2002/03 season. It was played by the then champions Borussia Dortmund against Hertha BSC and ended in a 2-2 draw.
In retrospect, this was a rather rare outcome, as the champions went on to win the opening game in every subsequent season.
The record before the start of the 2025 Bundesliga season: In the 23 Bundesliga opening games played to date, the champions have never lost!
The champions have won the opening game a total of 17 times – ten times in a row from 2009 to 2018. These successes are offset by five draws. Last year, Bayer Leverkusen won the league opener in Gladbach 3-2 as champions.
Facts & figures about Bundesliga opening games
- Bayern Munich has played the most opening games at the start of the Bundesliga season – 16 in total.
- Bayern also recorded the highest-scoring results and the most convincing victories at the start of the Bundesliga season. The record stands at 8-0 against Schalke at the start of the 2020/21 season. Added to that are a 6-0 win against Werder Bremen (2016), a 6-1 win against Eintracht Frankfurt (2022) and a 5-0 win against HSV (2015).
- Four of the five draws in Bundesliga opening games to date have ended 2-2.
- There has never been a 0-0 draw in the official opening game of the Bundesliga season.
- The most common result in Bundesliga opening games is 3-1. This has happened five times in total.
- The opening game pairing of Bayern Munich and Borussia Mönchengladbach has been the most frequent. This duel has taken place three times at the start of the season, most recently in 2021.
- Three teams have been the most frequent opponents of the champions in Bundesliga opening games, with three appearances each: Gladbach, HSV, and Schalke.
- From 2022 to 2020, the opening games were always played in the stadium of the reigning champions. From 2021 to 2023, the title holders had to play away in their opening game.
Bundesliga 2025 kicks off with Bayern vs. Leipzig
The latest Bundesliga opening game will take place on August 22, with champions Bayern Munich facing RB Leipzig.
If the results of all official Bundesliga opening games are anything to go by, then the outcome is clear before the start of the 2025 Bundesliga season: champions Bayern Munich will win.
After all, the current champions have won 13 of the last 15 Bundesliga opening games since 2010. During this period, the champions only managed two draws: in 2021 and 2019, Bayern played 1-1 and 2-2 against Gladbach and Hertha BSC respectively.
Statistically speaking, the odds are therefore very poor for the Rasenballer, who are playing in the Bundesliga opener for the first time.
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For betting providers in Germany, the outcome of the 2025 Bundesliga opener also looks very clear in advance, as the Bayern – Leipzig betting odds show.
Munich are seen as the clear favorites, with Leipzig coming to Munich as clear underdogs at the start of the season.
This is also due to recent results: Bayern won the last two league matches at their home ground, the Allianz Arena, 2-1 (2023/24) and 5-1 last season.
Bayern have not lost any of their last four matches against RB. In addition to these two wins, Leipzig have also secured two draws.
Will the champions’ unbeaten run in Bundesliga opening matches continue in the 23rd edition, or will the non-champions win for the first time?
