The brand new Bundesliga season begins on Friday and all eyes will probably be on Bayern Munich and whether or not they can bounce again to win the title.
Bayern Munich start their Bundesliga marketing campaign at Wolfsburg this weekend, with new head coach Vincent Kompany set to be the focus as he appears to steer the membership again to the highest of German soccer.
Up to now ten years, the Bundesliga championship has been nearly a given for Bayern Munich; from 2013 to 2023, the membership gained 11 consecutive championships within the Bundesliga.
However final season, Germany’s richest soccer membership, Bayern, had been dramatically upstaged by Bayer Leverkusen, who went unbeaten to win the home league and cup double. Bayern Munich then ended their worst season in years by ending third within the Bundesliga, being overtaken by Stuttgart in second place.
Former Belgium worldwide Vincent Kompany, who changed Thomas Tuchel within the dugout, has been working to revive order inside Bayern’s squad and instill confidence in his gamers forward of Sunday’s season opener.
“Their groups had been of equal high quality final 12 months, however the communication between coach and gamers was not good,” former Bayern and Germany captain Lothar Matthäus informed a world media roundtable this week.
“Bayern means ‘we’re a household’ and now we have to stay it daily. Kompany is a coach who can carry that ambiance again to the workforce.
Bayern spent round 100 million euros ($111 million) to accumulate winger Michael Aulis from Crystal Palace and defensive midfielder Joao Palinha from Fulham.
They signed defender Hiroki Ito from Stuttgart to strengthen the protection that missed the workforce final season.
“I’ve a optimistic feeling about this workforce, they appear impressed once more and able to assault once more,” Bayern sporting director Max Eberl mentioned.
Bayern additionally boasts returning superstars Harry Kane and Jamal Musiala, who type the core of the membership’s high-scoring assault in 2024-25. Kane led the Bundesliga in objectives final season, scoring 36 objectives in 32 appearances for the membership.
Can Leverkusen defend the title?
However Leverkusen has largely saved its squad intact and retained coach Xabi Alonso, and so they don’t have any intention of handing the Bundesliga title again to Bayern Munich.
Their never-say-die perspective from final season was on show once more on Saturday after they equalized in opposition to Stuttgart within the German Tremendous Cup earlier than profitable the title on penalties.
“Their strain in Leverkusen was higher than [Bayern] This season it is Munich,” mentioned Matthaus.
“Leverkusen do not should win. Bayern, after the final two seasons, should not solely win but additionally carry out nicely. That is the strain now.
Bayer Leverkusen formally kicks off their Bundesliga marketing campaign at Monchengladbach on Friday.
For Stuttgart, which unexpectedly completed second final season, it might be even harder than final season, with Ito shedding to Bayern and high scorer Serhu Gilasi and defender Valdemar Anton shedding to Dortmund.
The arrival of Germany internationals Anton, Pascal Grosz and Maximilian Bale might restore Dortmund’s credentials as title contenders, though they have to hope Gilasi fills in after Nicolas Verkrug left West Ham. emptiness under.
