After a dramatic end to the 2022/23 Bundesliga season that left fans across the country in despair or jubilation, everything is set for another memorable nine months of German football.
With Bayern München maintaining their stranglehold on the title at the expense of Borussia Dortmund on the final day of the season, the Bavarians will not be taking anything for granted as Edin Terzić’s side look to knock them off their perch.
Elsewhere, Union Berlin finished in the top four for the first time, qualifying for the Champions League alongside RB Leipzig.
As the only Berlin side in the Bundesliga after Hertha’s relegation, Union will be flying the flag for the capital but the likes of Freiburg and Bayer Leverkusen will be looking to capitalise on the Champions League distraction to mount their own challenge on the top of the table.
At the bottom, recently promoted Heidenheim and Darmstadt will be hoping their stay in Bundesliga lasts longer than a season, but they will need to bring VfB Stuttgart, Augsburg and VfL Bochum down to maintain any dreams of survival.
Below, the writers of VAVEL have accumulated their thoughts and predictions for the coming season into one convenient preview. So whether you’re a seasoned expert of Bundesliga or just trying to work out what all the fuss is about, read on and get excited. Bundesliga is back!
The Battle at the bottom
1. FC Heidenheim 1846
FC Heidenheim's rise to the Bundesliga has been miraculous. Their rise has drawn comparisons with Luton Town’s unlikely promotion to the English Premier League as the two sides share a similar rise to the top division. They won the 2.Bundesliga on the final day in dramatic circumstances, two last-gasp goals not only securing promotion but also the title with Darmstadt losing away to Greuther Furth. Manager Frank Schmidt has guided the club from the fifth-tier to the Bundesliga, now can they stay at the top table?
Well, the title-winning squad has been kept intact, with top scorer Tim Kleindienst sticking around to spearhead the survival push. Several attackers have arrived, Marvin Pieringer and Nikola Dovedan have joined permanently but their most exciting signing is Eren Dinkci, on loan from Werder Bremen. The defence has also been strengthened by the additions of Omar Traore and Benedikt Gimber.
It is hard not to root for the minnows in their first campaign in the top flight, although it might be a step too far for the miracle man himself to keep them in the Bundesliga as their business relies on potential rather than proven talents and promoted teams have historically struggled.
Declan Carr
VfB Stuttgart
While teams like Union Berlin and Freiburg are focused on consistent and gradual improvement. Stuttgart seem to be focused on their consistent and not-so-gradual decline.
After roaring back into the Bundesliga in 2020-2021 with a 9th-place finish, the decline started. A 15th-place finish was followed by a dip to 16th-place. This meant that last season it took a relegation play-off win against Hamburger SV to confirm Stuttgart’s place among the best of German football.
The season began under Pellegrino Matarazzo who only lasted until October. He was quickly replaced with Michael Wimmer who only continued the downward trend until he was replaced by Bruno Labbadia. The man who would, by the finest of margins, keep Die Roten in the league. Now the task is passed to former Hoffenheim manager Sebastian Hoeness who will be hoping to match the 9th place finish he achieved just one year ago while at Hoffenheim.
The impressive Alexander Nübel has joined on a season-long loan from Bayern Munich. An outstanding deal for the club especially considering rumours of a future fee being included. 17-year-old striker, Jovan Milosevic has also joined and already has over 20 professional goals to his name. Stuttgart have also bought last season’s bright light on loan, Guinean forward Serhou Guirassy to the delight of the Stuttgart loyal.
Stuttgart will be looking to extend their stay in the Bundesliga for a fourth season. This will be easier said than done of course but with the ever-improving Mavropanos and the goalkeeping pedigree of Nübel, survival is looking likely.
Gage Morgan
TSG Hoffenheim
Hoffenheim was one of seven teams to start 2022/2023 with a new manager but André Brietenreiter was soon replaced by former Hoffenheim assistant manager, Pellegrino Matarazzo after a poor run in form. Good work from the New Jersey-born Matarazzo including an impressive 1-1 draw with Bayern Munchen ensured that Hoffenheim finished the season in 12th.
Hoffenheim started the current transfer window by losing their young, impressive attacking midfielder Christoph Baumgartner to league rivals RB Leipzig. Their misery was added to when Matarazzo lost an experienced Bundesliga pair in Munas Dabbur and Stefan Posch to Al-Alhi and Bologna.
The process of reinvestment has begun but progress has been slow.
They’ve snapped up Attila Szalai from Fenerbahce for a fee of around 12 million. The monstrous 6’4 centre-back seems to have been an astute signing. Szalai Won 80% of his aerial duels last season in Turkey and partnered that with a respectable 1.12 interceptions per game showing that his brute force and physical traits are comparable to his reading of the game. Other reinforcements are necessary, but transfer news seems to be thin on the ground. The only link at the moment seems to be a loan move for Bayern teenager Eyüp Aydin. Hardly the most encouraging transfer deals for Hoffenheim fans.
The aim for the coming season will be survival. The path from an established Bundesliga team to the second division is a well-trodden one and one that Matarazzo will have every faith that he and his team can avoid completely.
Gage Morgan
FC Augsburg
It was business as usual for Augsburg in Enrico Maaßen's maiden season, as the Bavarians finished a disappointing 15th after a difficult end to the campaign.
Maaßen has by no means impressed the WWK Arena faithful thus far, but he remains in the job for now and has been busy bolstering his squad in all areas.
The most significant signings have been in the forward areas, with last season's nine-goal striker Mërgim Berisha making his loan move permanent, and the experienced Sven Michel and powerhouse Phillip Tietz joining from Union Berlin and Darmstadt respectively.
There has been an exodus of experienced players as contracts end, and Rafał Gikiewicz has been replaced by the exciting former Mainz stopper Finn Dahmen, while 21-year-old Karlsruher defensive midfielder Tim Breithaupt comes in for the retiring Julian Baumgartlinger. Also signed are central defender Patric Pfeiffer and attacking midfielder Masaya Okugawa, while young American Ricardo Pepi ends his nightmare spell in the Bundesliga, with Augsburg managing to recoup most of the €16 million they spent on him as he heads to PSV.
Reece Oxford is the player to watch. You get the sense that it is make or break for centre-back Oxford this season, a player whose development was halted by injuries last year. He has always had the potential to be a key player for Augsburg, but with a glut of talent in his position, can the Englishman stave off his fitness issues long enough to become a fixture in Maaßen's back line?
Augsburg should avoid the drop more comfortably than in 2022/23.
Max Davis
Vfl Bochum 1848
Vfl Bochum finished 14th in the Bundesliga last season, two points separated the Blues from VfB Stuttgart in 16th despite showing signs of promise in the first half of the season.
Escaping the drop two years in a row was admirable, but sadly Vfl Bochum will need another miracle if they’re to escape relegation this season.
Conceding the most goals in the Bundesliga last season with a staggering 72 goals leaking through the defence despite an incredible effort from Goalkeeper Manuel Riemann played a massive role in the club’s battle for survival.
Vfl Bochum will struggle to avoid another relegation scrap this season. However, they have shown they have the quality in their squad to cause problems for any team. A 16th-place finish and the relegation playoff spot is the most likely scenario.
Rio Blackburn
SV Darmstadt 98
Making their first Bundesliga appearance since 2017, Darmstadt narrowly missed out on the Bundesliga 2 title on the final day back in May. But after a fantastic season under Torsten Lieberknecht, they’ll definitely want to prove a point after a long absence from the top.
For me though, they haven’t had a particularly inspiring transfer window. Nearly all of their signings have little to no top-flight experience, and whilst players such as Christoph Klarer and Fraser Hornby have potential, I think they need more Bundesliga-proven talent.
The fact Darmstadt lost top scorer Phillip Tietz to fellow Bundesliga outfit Augsburg is a real blow.
With a lack of experience and the loss of their top scorer, and the fact that Lieberknecht’s only experience in the Bundesliga was sending Eintracht Braunschweig down in 18th, I can’t see anything other than relegation for Darmstadt.
Dillon Buckle
The top-of-the-table contenders
FC Bayern München
After a chaotic season that left the reigning Bundesliga champions hanging on to the title with their fingernails, the Boardroom has been cleared out and the Bavarian giants are going through a small rebuild as they pursue their 33rd Bundesliga title.
Head coach, Thomas Tuchel has spent big on Min-Jae Kim from Serie A’s Napoli and Raphaël Guerreiro from rivals Borussia Dortmund, but is still vying for Tottenham and England’s Harry Kane as Tuchel looks to strengthen his side’s forward line. If Kane does make the trip across Europe, and it’s still a big if, Tuchel’s side will not just be favourites for another Bundesliga title, but may have the missing piece of the puzzle to solve recent Champions League struggles.
With Borussia Dortmund their most likely title rivals, Bayern München will judge success this coming season by their performance in the Champions League. Without a European trophy since 2020 and failing to progress beyond the Quarter-finals since then, Thomas Tuchel will be expected, as is always the case in Bavaria, to win trophies. You would be brave to bet against them.
Oscar O’Mara
Borussia Dortmund
There has been a significant upheaval at Borussia Dortmund since they lost the league title on the final day last season. Edin Terzic's side just needed to beat Mainz at home but stumbled to a 2-2 draw. A late Jamal Musiala strike handed Bayern the victory they needed to secure another title, breaking Die Borussen hearts.
Finding a replacement for Jude Bellingham after his exit to Real Madrid was a must, and they have brought in Felix Nmecha and Marcel Sabitzer to strengthen the engine room. Their only other addition is Ramy Bensebaini, who came in after Raphael Guerreiro left, both on free transfers.
The most significant change might be the captaincy, Marco Reus has handed the armband to former Liverpool man Emre Can for next season.
BVB have a nice blend of experience and youth, and an especially exciting young attacking core, including the likes of Youssoufa Moukoko, Karim Adeyemi, Donyell Malen, Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, Gio Reyna and 17-year-old Julien Duranville. However, If they are to fight for the title again, they probably need to add a quality right-back before the transfer window closes.
Declan Carr
Bayer 04 Leverkusen
Following a disastrous start of the season that left Bayer 04 17th in the Bundesliga and knocked out of the DFB-Pokal at the hands of third-division side SV 07 Elversberg, the hierarchy decided to make a change. It was out with Gerardo Seoane and in with World Cup-winning midfielder Xabi Alonso. The former Liverpool midfielder armed with his 3-5-2, ball dominating, tactics overseen a rise from 17th to a finish of 6th as well as only being denied a European final thanks to a classic Jose Mourinho defensive masterclass.
Now attention turns to the upcoming season.
Die Schwarzroten have been proactive in their transfer dealings so far. They confirmed the free signing of flying wingback Alejandro Grimaldo from Benfica early in the window and brought Swiss midfielder Granit Xhaka back to the Bundesliga.
The jewel of their transfer business so far has to be the 20 million euro signing of Nigerian striker Victor Boniface. A player with strength, speed, and goals to boot, including 22 goals and 12 assists last season in the Belgian Pro League.
However, Alonso has lost one of the jewels of last season in Mousa Diaby to Aston Villa and a plethora of deep-pocketed vultures continue to circle the lightning-quick former Celtic defender Jeremie Frimpong as well as Tottenham’s relentless pursuit of Edmund Tapsoba adding to the uncertainty around the squad.
Assuming they can keep his talent in Leverkusen, Jeremie Frimpong is well worth keeping an eye on. Often criticised for a lack of final product during his time in Glasgow, the flying right back has sought to improve that.
Last season the Dutchman managed a sensational 20 goals and assists in all competitions, a tally only bettered by the 50 million euro man, Mousa Diaby. The energetic wing-back led the Bundesliga in most attempted sprints as well as finishing the season as the seventh fastest player in the German top flight partnering this with the 2nd most dribbles.
Frimpong also did his duty in defence. Ranking 5th in the league for blocked crosses helping his team finish the season with 9 clean sheets.
If not for an inspired Union Berlin and a late downturn in form, Bayer could have been playing in this upcoming season's Champions League and this will be the target again.
Gage Morgan
SC Freiburg
With Union Berlin grabbing the headlines, you may not have noticed the team that is hot on their tail.
SC Freiburg spent the majority of last season feverishly hunting a spot in the Champions League and were still in the hunt until their final game in which they fell to Frankfurt which sealed their Europa League fate.
Although failing to gain a spot in the leading European competition doesn’t mean their season was a failure. A 5th place finish just continues the gradual improvements they are making as a club. Partner this with another impressive showing in DFB-Pokal in which they defeated German giants Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena for the first time in their history. Freiburg went on to reach the semi-finals, falling to the eventual winners RB Leipzig.
Unsurprisingly, Freiburg have caught the attention of clubs across Europe. Brentford have moved quickly to bring in goalkeeper, Mark Flekken and a 25 million euro deal for winger Kevin Schade.
Freiburg and Christian Streich haven’t rested on their laurels. They’ve replaced Flekken with Florian Müller who has completed his move from VfB Stuttgart. Freiburg has also replenished its strike force. Club legend Nils Peterson retired at the end of last season and trying to fill his gargantuan boots will be Austrian International Junior Adamu. Signed from Austrian champions Red Bull Salzburg the young striker bagged 10 goals last season and will be looking to continue that form for Die Breisgauer.
While the mercurial and Chelsea-bound Christopher Nkunku grabbed a lot of plaudits for his 16-goal season last year. Look no further than Vincenzo Grifo for attacking inspiration. With 15 goals last season, the Italy international was the main man hidden in plain sight.
24 goal contributions in all competitions in addition to finishing in the top ten of attempted shots in the league. Grifo and his sheer volume of attacking output is invaluable to Freiburg and they’ll be hoping to keep a hold of their talisman ahead of the 2023/2024 season.
Gage Morgan
RB Leipzig
Last season’s third-place finish bodes well for the upcoming campaign.
Marco Rose took the reins at the Red Bull Arena on September 8th, 2022, and no team in Germany has taken more points since. Leipzig are the reigning DFB Cup Winners, however, they have lost much of their attacking prowess with Nkunku departing for Chelsea. The Frenchman produced 16 goals and 6 assists last season, not to mention Szoboszlai, who contributed 14 goals last season.
The man tasked with filling the gaps is new signing Benjamin Sesko. The 20-year-old joined from sister club RB Salzburg this summer after impressing in Austria last year, netting 16 goals. However, the question is, can he step up? He didn’t register in his six Champions League appearances, but the potential is certainly there for all to see.
Dani Olmo is arguably still RB Leipzig’s key man, with nine goals in 26 appearances last season. The Spaniard was voted attacking midfielder of the season by Kicker Magazine, and he also signed a new contract recently. Olmo will be key to the creativity and flow of the team. Josko Gvardiol will also be key if the club can resist the approach from Manchester City.
RB Leipzig play entertaining football. However, as it stands, they have not replaced arguably two of their best players last year. It would be difficult to say they have strengthened, even with a few signings. A fourth-place finish may be a solid prediction.
Leipzig face Bayer Leverkusen away from home in their first game back and it should be the highlight of the opening weekend.
Luke Davies
1. FC Union Berlin
Off the back of a historic last season, culminating in qualification for the Champions League for the very first time, Berlin’s only Bundesliga club will be looking to take their league form into Europe’s elite competition. In preparation, it’s been a busy off-season in Köpenick.
Head coach, Urs Fischer and co. have invested wisely in the likes of David Fofana and Brendan Aaronson from Chelsea and Leeds United, Lucas Tousart and Alexander Schwolow from second-division rivals Hertha, and strengthened their squad depth across the board with more than 12 incomings.
The stand-out signing so far has been David Fofana, on loan from Premier League’s Chelsea. During pre-season, the 20-year-old Ivory Coast centre-forward has acclimatised quickly to the requirements of Fischer, starting regularly and providing his own sparks of magic.
In their recent victory again Serie A’s Udinese, Fofana set up Jerome Rousillon with a cheeky no-look back heel after holding off the Italian defence. The Union left-back had time and space to slide the ball inside the back post and instantly celebrated with the new recruit.
Presuming Union can handle the extra burden of Champions League football, the squad is good enough to repeat history and finish in the top four, but Leverkusen and Freiburg will be nipping at their heels once more.
Oscar O’Mara
Middle-table mediocrity
1. FSV Mainz 05
Mainz secured a respectable ninth-placed finish last season in the Bundesliga, playing a key role in deciding the champions with their 2-2 draw with Dortmund on the final day. Die Nullfünfer finished just four points behind seventh-placed Eintracht Frankfurt, who secured Europa Conference League qualification, after a run of poor form towards the end of the season.
Marcus Ingvartsen, the club's top scorer last season with 12 strikes in all competitions has left, after finding himself behind Jonathan Burkardt, Karim Onisiwo and Ludovic Ajorque in the pecking order. Tom Krauß has arrived from RB Leipzig but the major coup is the loan signing of highly-rated Sepp van den Berg from Liverpool, a deal that reportedly includes an option to buy.
The club will hope to push on for a European qualification spot with a talented squad and highly-regarded manager Bo Svensson, who it would not be a surprise to see move on soon as he continues to be linked with high-profile vacancies.
Declan Carr
VfL Wolfsburg
After a respectable eight-place finish last season, ‘The Wolves’ will be optimistic about their hopes this time.
The 2008/09 champions have recruited well this summer, firstly with Vaclav Cerny arriving from FC Twente for £8.00m. The Czech was involved in 24 goals in just 32 Eredivisie appearances last season, a great indicator of success this time out. Wolfsburg fans should be excited about a proven quality player. To add to that, another key signing is Tiago Tomas. The 21-year-old was loaned to VfB Stuttgart last season from parent club Sporting CP, gaining valuable experience in his 29 league appearances.
Mick Van De Ven will be pivotal this term. The 22-year-old centre-back featured 36 times in all competitions last year and was a rock at the heart of defence. It will be huge if Wolfsburg hold onto the Dutchman amid the interest of Tottenham Hotspur.
It may sound ambitious, but the locals should be excited about this coming season. Cerny will hit the ground running, scoring, and creating goals along the way. A sixth-place finish would not shock me at all.
Luke Davies
SV Werder Bremen
Werder Bremen’s immediate return to the Bundesliga last season was successful.
Despite finishing just shy of the relegation play-off spot due to four losses in their last five, they were comfortably mid-table for most of the season. The highlight was a win over title chasers Borussia Dortmund.
Ole Werner’s men have done some decent business this summer, most notably signing Naby Keita on a free from Liverpool. They’ve also managed to keep a hold of key players, such as Marvin Ducksch, Mitchell Weiser, and most importantly, last season’s Bundesliga joint top scorer Niklas Füllkrug.
With the retention of their key players and the addition of Naby Keita, I think Bremen can finish mid-table but it doesn’t start any harder than against reigning champions Bayern München.
Dillon Buckle
1. FC Köln
The Billy Goats finished last season comfortably in mid-table, but off the pitch, the club has been anything but comfortable.
With two transfer window embargoes due to being found guilty of inducing a breach of player contract in 2022, FC Köln navigated a tricky season where incomings were few and far between. Even qualification for the UEFA Europa Conference league only provided a brief distraction as Steffen Baumgart’s men were knocked out in the group stages.
Part of the problem Baumgart is trying to solve is goals. No player scored more than six for the season. However, Köln have focussed on strengthening their defence in recent months.
Julian Chabot will be a key player to watch. The centre-back has signed from Sampdoria in Serie B after turning his loan permanent in the summer. Capped at every junior international level by Germany, he is still waiting for his first senior cap but at 25 and playing regularly, his performances are moving him in the right direction.
It’s likely to be another mid-table finish for Köln but maintaining a five-year stint in Bundesliga should be considered another achievement as Baumgart continues to build strength and depth in his young squad for future campaigns.
Oscar O’Mara
Borussia Mönchengladbach
For the third time in as many seasons, Borussia Mönchengladbach go into a campaign with a new manager. Gerardo Seoane, the former Bayer Leverkusen head coach has taken over from Daniel Farke and has overseen a transformation of Die Fohlen’s squad this summer.
Marcus Thuram, Jonas Hofmann and Ramy Bensebaini have departed but Florian Neuhaus has confirmed that he is staying, signing a contract extension until 2027.
The Germany international has had a stagnant few years due to loss of form and injury but can Seoane get Neuhaus back to his graceful, flee-flowing best?
It may be too much to ask for Gladbach to finish in the top half of the Bundesliga this season with so much instability and change.
Oliver Lee
Eintracht Frankfurt
After recent adventures in Europe, Frankfurt lost focus in the league and scraped the final European qualification spot. They will be fortunate to finish in the top seven again.
Many fans expected Randal Kolo-Muani to leave Eintracht Frankfurt this summer after his breakout season. Scoring 15 goals and assisting 11 more, the 24-year-old showcased his ability as an all-round centre forward.
Now under the guidance of Julian Nagelsmann’s former assistant, Dino Toppmöller, Kolo-Muani will be expected to replicate this tally in a new look Frankfurt side.
Daichi Kamada and Evan N’Dicka, two consistent performers, have moved on while Ellyes Skhiri and Robin Koch have arrived. With much change in Germany’s financial capital, can Toppmöller and Kolo-Muani fire Frankfurt back into Europe?
With so much change, Frankfurt will be happy just finishing in the top 10.
All that said and done, it’s time for the talking to stop and the players to take their positions. Bundesliga is back and if history is anything to go by, anything can happen.
You can follow all the drama as it unfolds right here with VAVEL UK.