From goals to upsets and jaw-dropping derbies, every Bundesliga season brings with it a fair amount of drama. And with the new 2025-26 season set to begin in a matter of days, it appears the league has stepped up the ante. Propelled by new signings and surprise promotions, we may be about to witness one of the best seasons of German professional football ever.
European football correspondent and betting tips expert Kate Richardson previews the upcoming Bundesliga season and highlights some of the main intrigues to look out for. Without further ado, let’s dive right into all that’s in store for next nine months of footballing action.
Bayern Shores Up Its Ranks with Diaz After Müller Exit
After a humbling loss to nine-man European champions PSG and a quarterfinal exit from the FIFA Club World Cup in July, Thomas Müller brought his 25-year Bayern Munich chapter to a close. Having joined Bayern Munich from the age of 10, Müller won 13 league titles with the Bavarians, supplying 150 goals and 238 assists.
With Müller now with MLS team Vancouver Whitecaps, the race has been on to improve the squad in his absence. Bayern has made new additions to the team, including signing Luis Diaz on a four-year deal and completing a move for former Bayer Leverkusen centre-back Jonathan Tah.
“FC Bayern fit perfectly with my aims. I wanted to move to a big, ambitious team – this club has incredible history. We want to win everything. My aim is to help the club and have success as quickly as possible,” Diaz told Bayern fans after penning a deal worth €75 million.
Other additions include Tom Bischof from Hoffenheim and loan returnees like Mathys Tel and Arijon Ibrahimovic. All of these coupled with immense talent in the likes of Harry Kane, Michael Olise could propel Bayern Munich to retain top spot despite immense competition.
Improved Bundesliga App and Fantasy Game Available
Bundesliga tech innovation is arguably one of the best in Europe’s top five leagues. From being one of the first to launch referee cameras to introducing in-game stats for TV viewers, the league is back with even more developments. A newly revamped app has gone live ahead of the start of the season featuring a new design and story-style highlights for every match.
Players can also now download the full fixture list and add it to their smartphone calendar seamlessly. These new features are joined by the introduction of an enhanced Fantasy Manager app. Expect dynamic market values that update after every match day and a boosted Head to Head mode.
In addition to both apps, you can also get today’s football tips live in just a few clicks on your mobile device through MightyTips. This way, you have access to a daily prediction of Bundesliga matchday outcomes, different bet types and odds. MightyTips also reviews top bookmakers, so you can have a broad selection of options to choose from when betting.
Schick and Woltemade Hope to be Point of Difference
Patrik Schick rose to prominence in the 2021/22 season when he emerged as the joint top scorer at the 2020 UEFA European Championships and second-highest scorer in the Bundesliga. However, a spell of injuries would see him miss most of the latter part of 2022 and practically the entirety of 2023.
Nonetheless, he was part of the squad that won Leverkusen the 2023-24 DFB-Pokal and Bundesliga titles. Most recently, he penned a contract extension till 2030 with Die Werkself and would hope to be the point of difference after star teammate Florian Wirtz’s move to Liverpool.
Much is also expected of Nick Woltemade of VfB Stuttgart who has risen through the ranks to become one of the Bundesliga’s most promising strikers. These players will definitely be looking to support their teams’ ambition for silverware while possibly being the stars of the new season.
Newer Rivalries Emerge with Cologne and Hamburg Promotions
A one-point gap over SV Elversberg was sufficient to secure automatic Bundesliga promotion for Hamburg SV. In the same-vein 1. FC Köln also gained a move to the top-tier of German football after clinching the 2. Bundesliga title.
“We have all the qualities we need, 1. FC Köln are in an excellent position, we have a fantastic squad and team spirit. It is important for the club and the people here to achieve direct promotion to the Bundesliga after relegation and the difficult time.” Steffen Tigges told journalists when asked about the club’s prospects. “The top tier is a big challenge but we will be ready.”
The return of both teams will see at least two intense traditional rivalries come alive next season: 1. FC Köln versus Borussia Mönchengladbach and Hamburg SV versus St. Pauli. Both 1. FC Köln and Hamburg will also look to settle scores from the just-concluded 2. Bundesliga season. This is in addition to the Der Klassiker which is a guaranteed seasonal cracker.
Leverkusen, Frankfurt and Dortmund Plan to Dash Bayern’s Title Hopes
In the last decade, the Bundesliga was practically a one-man show with Bayern Munich dominating the arena. However, more recently, teams like Bayer Leverkusen and Frankfurt have given the Bavarians a run for their money. There is every indication that the league would be just as competitive this season.
Dortmund would be looking to rise above a disappointing fourth-position finish last season with interesting signings. The club has strategically added more depth to their squad, with Jobe Bellingham and Daniel Svensson joining on permanent deals. Coach Niko Kovač also has Champions League top scorer from last season Guirassy as the stars on his team.
Frankfurt has also ramped up the team with centre-forward signing Jonathan Burkardt and right winger Ritsu Doan. Bayern would be well advised to watch their backs as Leverkusen, Frankfurt, Dortmund and even Leipzig would be chasing for a piece of the Meisterschale.
Here’s what the power rankings look like weeks into the league:
- Bayern Munich (-380)
- Bayer Leverkusen (+750)
- Dortmund (+1100)
- RB Leipzig (+1800)
- Eintracht Frankfurt (+5000)
- Freiburg (+10000)
- Mainz (+13000)
Conclusion: Who Will Emerge as German League Champions?
With the exception of Müller, most clubs did not see a staggering exit in the ranks. The departure of Wirtz is debatable in terms of its impact on the Leverkussen structure. But definitely, we’ve not seen anything close to Erling Haaland or Jude Bellingham’s exit this summer.
Even better, most clubs have brought in new, experienced players and will surely be giving it their all come 22 August 2025 when the season kicks off. While Bayern Munich remain favorites to win the league, there is every indicator that we might see some upsets. Regardless, the 2025-26 Bundesliga is highly anticipated and promises to live up to the hype.
