Bundesliga 2025/26 Predictions: Bayern to Retain Title, Dortmund Eye Surprise Push | OneFootball

The 2025/26 Bundesliga season is just around the corner as Bayern Munich seek a second consecutive title, with the champions hosting RB Leipzig in the opening Bundesliga fixture on Friday.

After Bayer Leverkusen’s historic triumph in the 2023/24 campaign, the record-time German champions restored the natural order last season.

It wasn’t even close. The Bavarians left second-placed Leverkusen 13 points behind in the league table as Harry Kane won his first piece of silverware.

Heavily fancied to go back-to-back, Kompany’s charges head into the new season brimming with confidence and determined to tighten their grip on German football.

Bayern alone at the top

Leverkusen halted Bayern’s decade-long stranglehold on the Bundesliga two years ago. But their slip last season highlighted how difficult it is to keep pace with the Bavarians over the long haul.

Kompany’s men are head and shoulders above the rest of the league, and it’s almost impossible to imagine anyone knocking them off their perch this term.

Luis Diaz has arrived from Liverpool in a mega-money deal to strengthen Kompany’s attacking options amid several high-profile departures in the offensive department.

Long-serving stalwart Thomas Muller has left the club to join Vancouver Whitecaps, while Leroy Sane and Kingsley Coman have signed for Galatasaray and Al-Nassr, respectively.

However, their exits pale in comparison to Jamal Musiala’s long-term injury, which could have a far greater impact on Bayern’s season, considering he has been essential the past few years.

Despite the youngster’s lengthy spell on the sidelines and three notable departures, the Bavarians have made no progress in their pursuit of Nick Woltemade.

A shortage of senior attacking options threatens to undermine Bayern’s title hopes. Yet the overall quality of this squad should still be enough to keep them firmly in control of the Bundesliga race.

Jonathan Tah’s arrival from Leverkusen will undoubtedly bolster their defensive resilience, with the towering centre-back expected to slot next to Dayot Upamecano at the heart of Kompany’s backline.

Alphonso Davies’ return from injury gives the Bavarian club another reason to feel upbeat as they can again rely on the Canadian’s blistering pace and attacking thrust down the left flank.

Additional signings before the transfer window shuts remain a strong possibility, particularly when factoring in Bayern’s genuine ambition to regain their status in European football.

Also Read: Bayern Munich Season Guide 2025/26: Key Fixtures, Transfers and Predicted Starting XI

Leverkusen derailed & set to falter

It’s been a disappointing summer for Die Werkself.

All the architects of their iconic Bundesliga win two years ago have left the BayArena, casting significant doubt on Leverkusen’s chances of challenging for the top spots.

Title-winning manager Xabi Alonso has taken charge of Real Madrid, with Erik ten Hag brought in to replace the Spaniard after an underwhelming stint at Manchester United.

Equally concerning have been the exits of numerous first-team stars.

Florian Wirtz’s transfer to Liverpool hurts the most, but his departure is just the tip of the iceberg.

Jeremie Frimpong, Granit Xhaka, Lukas Hradecky and Tah have also severed ties with Leverkusen, leaving the squad significantly weakened and seemingly destined for a top-four battle.

The addition of Malik Tillman from PSV Eindhoven doesn’t seem sufficient to offset the loss of so many key players.

Unless Ten Hag pulls off something miraculous in his first season at the BayArena, this promises to be a turbulent campaign for Die Werkself.

Borussia Dortmund tipped to be the top challengers

Dortmund may be the best suited to take advantage of Leverkusen’s looming downturn.

Last season was nearly disastrous for Die Borussen as they were on the verge of missing out on a top-four finish, only to sneak into the Champions League qualification spots on the final weekend.

Nuri Sahin almost ran the BVB into the abyss, but Niko Kovac steadied the ship in the second half of the season, perhaps laying the foundation for a more promising campaign in 2025/26.

Not since a final-day heartbreak in 2022/23 have the Signal Iduna Park giants managed to mount a sustained title challenge, and this could be their chance to return to the spotlight.

Jude Bellingham came agonisingly close to engineering Dortmund’s first title since 2012 in his last season in North Rhine-Westphalia, but they fluffed their lines on the final weekend.

His brother, Jobe, may pick up where Jude left off and help Dortmund claw their way back into the title picture after two forgettable campaigns.

Whether they have enough to topple the reigning champions is debatable, but with Kovac at the helm, it would be naive to write them off.

Relegation battle

After seven years in the second tier, Hamburger SV return to the top flight keen to avoid an immediate drop despite failing to attract big names to Volksparkstadion during the summer.

However, they still boast better chances of securing survival than their fellow promoted rivals, FC Cologne, who look set for a season-long fight against relegation.

Perennial strugglers Augsburg could be in for another nerve-shredding campaign. The same goes for Heidenheim, who narrowly escaped relegation through the play-offs last season.

Despite extending their elite status in their first season back in the Bundesliga, St Pauli are also among the teams expected to battle at the lower end of the table.

It’s incredible to fathom how they stayed afloat last term, considering they scored only 28 league goals, making them the only side not to hit a 30-goal barrier.

Top scorer race

Serhou Guirrasy and Patrik Schick gave their best to win the Bundesliga Golden Boot race in 2024/25, scoring 21 goals apiece, and even that wasn’t enough to overtake Kane at the summit.

The 32-year-old striker won the award after netting 26 goals, though it was a far cry from his outstanding 36-goal tally from his first season in Munich.

Kane remains the hot favourite to retain his crown this season, and with Musiala facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines, the Englishman will carry even more of Bayern’s scoring responsibility.

Guirrasy feels like the most realistic candidate to challenge Kane’s supremacy in front of goal, but the race is for the latter to lose.

Watch Bundesliga Live on TV

All Bundesliga games are shown on Sky Sports in the UK, while ESPN holds the Bundesliga rights in the USA. See our Bundesliga live streaming page for more information.