When the Bundesliga kicks off on Friday (August 22, 8:30 p.m.) with Bayern Munich against RB Leipzig, two teams that are considered title contenders in the Bundesliga predictions will face each other in the season opener. Bayern, of course, slightly more so than the Rasenballer.
Bayern are the reigning champions and have won the title 12 times in the last 13 years. But even the league giants can falter, and Bayer Leverkusen took full advantage of that in the 2023/24 season.
Is Bayer Leverkusen one of the Bundesliga title favorites?
In the unique championship year of 2023/24, a Bundesliga season without defeat, defensive stalwart Jonathan Tah, winger Jeremie Frimpong, and above all midfield strategist Granit Xhaka and playmaker Florian Wirtz formed the axis of success. This quartet was also indispensable in the previous season, when the team finished second.
Now, in the summer, Tah, Frimpong, Wirtz and Xhaka have all left. So has goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky. In addition, championship-winning coach Xabi Alonso has also departed.
If the Werkself were a human body, Tah would be the torso, Xhaka the heart and Wirtz the brain. Such a being would of course no longer be viable after these operations.
Bayer’s sporting director Simon Rolfes has therefore had to prove himself as a kind of organ transplant surgeon during this summer transfer window.
He has brought in a lot of young replacements on the transfer market, including Malik Tillman and Claudi Echeverri for central midfield, Jarell Quansah for defense, and Mark Flekken for goal. Will this make the Werkself as viable as it was in the last two seasons?
All the newcomers to Bayer have great potential, and Leverkusen’s new coach Erik ten Hag has a reputation for being an excellent talent whisperer. But the question remains: how long will it take for the young Leverkusen team to reinvent itself?
In the Bundesliga championship predictions of German betting providers, however, Bayer is surprisingly right at the top. Despite radical restructuring, the Werkself is considered Bayern’s biggest challenger.
Bundesliga prediction: Does BVB have a real chance of winning the title?
Borussia Dortmund finished last season in fourth place with a late surge, securing a spot in the Champions League. In the end, however, they finished 25 points behind the champions from Munich.
In the Bundesliga championship predictions, however, BVB is not given much chance of winning the title.
The team plays (too) pragmatically. Without enthusiasm. The midfield with Julian Brandt, Marcel Sabitzer, and Felix Nmecha, a 30 million euro mispurchase, seems sluggish and slow. Karim Adeyemi’s form fluctuates like a boat on the high seas. Whether Jobe Bellingham will be as good as his big brother is a pipe dream in black and yellow. And up front, too much, if not everything, depends on striker Serhou Guirassy.
Who will be German champions: Leipzig’s big chance
RB Leipzig is repeatedly mentioned as an insider tip in the Bundesliga championship predictions. Yet the Rasenballer only finished 7th last season – and didn’t even qualify for the European Cup.
But that could be RB’s chance to win the title! Without international games, the team can calmly prepare for the Bundesliga every week under new coach Ole Werner.
In addition, in true Red Bull style, young and talented players have been signed. These include Johan Bakayoko and Yan Diomande for the wings, Romelu for the center forward position, and Ezechiel Banzuzi and Andrija Maksimovic for central and attacking midfield.
Without the added pressure of European competition, RB could end up where they expect to be: in the top four. Whether it will be enough for the top spot will probably depend on Bayern.
Bundesliga season prediction: Who still has a chance at the title?
Eintracht Frankfurt finished third last season. Can the Eagles finish even higher this season?
According to the Bundesliga championship predictions of bookmakers and experts, Eintracht will have little or nothing to do with the title race. The departure of Hugo Etikite could prove too costly.
However, what speaks in Frankfurt’s favor is that coach Dino Toppmöller has a clear plan and the team is a strong collective.
